He’s one of the best players in recent NBA history, and most fans know way less about Kawhi Leonard than most other superstars. That’s because Leonard doesn’t go out of his way to appear in many commercials, conduct lengthy interviews with media members, or connect with legions of fans on Instagram or Facebook Live. He lets his game do most of the talking for him, and his play on the court speaks volumes about the immense level of skill he has. The man of few words is working his way back from an ACL injury in hopes of being ready to roll from day one next season.
Kawhi Leonard – Childhood
Kawhi Anthony Leonard was born on June 29, 1991, in Los Angeles, California to parents Kim Robertson and Mark Leonard. The couple ended up getting a divorce five years into Kawhi’s life, and the young boy ended up living with his mother in Moreno Valley, California. Despite the arrangement, Kawhi would still see his father often, who served as a mentor for his athletic activities.
Leonard’s adult persona is not that much different from the mannerisms he had as a child. He was pretty reserved and kept his emotions close to the vest. He enjoyed playing basketball and video games. One of his coaches in rec league recalled that certain children would play pranks on Leonard such as tying his shoelaces together. Even when Leonard fell, he did not get mad or try to get back at the kids who did it. The player we see today also refuses to get caught up in mental games that opponents try to get him to play.
Kawhi Leonard – High School
While it is not quite on the level of popularity as the Michael Jordan story, Kawhi Leonard also has a pretty interesting tale when it comes to high school sports. He started out attending Canyon Springs High School in his neighborhood and wanted to try out for the basketball team. Even back then, Leonard had enormous hands, which earned him the nickname “The Klaw” in his NBA days. Unfortunately, his mother was busy during the day they scheduled basketball tryouts, and no one was able to transport Leonard to the school. As a result, he was left off of the team in his freshman year. In order to fill the athletic void, Leonard played on the football team, which was a sport his father had played in his youth.
The future NBA star would only end up playing football for one year at Canyon Springs, and the fit on the basketball team at the school was not the best. As a result, Leonard transferred to Martin Luther King High School ahead of his junior year seeking a better opportunity. The chance to show his skills would immediately come, but not before personal tragedy struck.
Mark Leonard had owned a car wash in nearby Compton, California for the majority of Kawhi’s childhood. Unfortunately, during the latter’s junior year of high school, Mark Leonard was killed at his place of employment. It was around this time that Leonard’s uncle, Dennis Robertson, would take greater responsibility for his nephew’s well-being and development. Dennis’ name has been brought up several times throughout the years, especially when Leonard has faced a big professional decision.
Despite the somber circumstances, Leonard had to press on and continue to chase his dreams. His production on the floor was impressive, as he posted averages of over 17 points per game and over six rebounds per contest.
He dominated the competition when he became a senior, leading his team to a sectional title while having six games where he scored at least 20 points and collected 20 rebounds. In addition to his scoring and rebounding prowess, he also averaged nearly four assists per game to go along with three blocks. Kawhi Leonard’s tremendous senior year attracted some belated major college program attention, but he decided to remain local and attend San Diego State University. It might be hard to believe right now, but he was the 56th-ranked player on ESPN’s top 100 list for the class of 2009.
Kawhi Leonard – College Career
The Aztecs’ coaching staff was very happy to find a diamond right under their nose in Southern California. San Diego State assistants had to work hard to confirm Leonard’s interests in the program since he was not always the most forthcoming about his thoughts or feelings.
However, the recruitment paid immediate dividends for the program. San Diego State was able to play a slower, grind-it-out pace with their caliber of athletes, and Leonard led the charge. As a 6’7” freshman he averaged just under 10 rebounds per game according to sports reference. Kawhi Leonard’s best performance of the season came in the Mountain West Conference Tournament title game against UNLV, where he scored 16 points and corralled 21 rebounds. The Aztecs qualified for the NCAA Tournament as a result of that win but came up just short in a slugfest against the University of Tennessee in their first game.
Leonard had some thoughts of potentially leaving college to go to the NBA after his first season, but was not projected to safely be selected in the first round of the draft. As a result, he returned for his sophomore year at San Diego State, and the Aztecs had their best year in school history to that point.
They only ended up losing three games the entire season and earned a number two seed in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament. Leonard was already affecting games profoundly with his rebounding ability but advanced noticeably as a scorer in 2010-2011. He averaged over 15 points per game, and could reliably be counted on for production at the offensive end of the floor. San Diego State ended up falling in the Sweet 16 to the University of Connecticut, led by future NBA star Kemba Walker.
Kawhi Leonard – San Antonio Spurs
Kawhi Leonard’s sophomore year performance was enough to ensure that he would be selected in the top half of the 2011 NBA Draft. He was taken with the 15th overall pick by the Indiana Pacers, who would flip him on draft night to the San Antonio Spurs for established guard George Hill. San Antonio was not looking to rebuild at that time, so it was interesting that they would have so much conviction to trade for an unproven rookie.
The Spurs knew that they needed to get more athletic on the perimeter, and Leonard would provide that versatility at a minimum. It said a lot about the franchise that they trusted him enough to start all 14 of the postseason games he appeared in as a rookie. They made the Western Conference Finals in the 2011-2012 season but ended up losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder and a fast-evolving tandem of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
The experience Leonard had as a rookie would serve as a springboard for him in 2012-2013 when he would face a challenge that few second-year players would ever be ready for. San Antonio was motivated to improve on their finish from a year before and played like a hungry team. They advanced all the way to the NBA Finals, where they would face the Miami Heat, featuring LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
Although James was arguably the best player in the NBA at that time, Leonard ended up playing magnificently as a compliment to his older teammates. He did not shut James down, but at least did enough to make him work for his points. As was the case in his amateur days, the former San Diego State star was incredibly productive on the glass, securing double-digit rebounds in five of seven NBA Finals games. San Antonio lost the series in a heartbreaking fashion, but it was clear that Leonard was ready to lead the team into its next stage of glory.
If the Spurs were hungry in 2012-2013, they were downright starving for a title in 2013-2014. Simply put, they were not going to be denied. They won 62 regular season games and knew that this might be the last chance for the core of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili to win another ring. They would meet the Miami Heat in the Finals for the second straight season and did not squander this particular opportunity.
The Spurs won the championship in five games, and Kawhi Leonard, in just his third NBA season, was named Finals MVP. He was quiet in the scoring column for the first couple of games but proceeded to average over 23 points per game in the final three contests. At that moment, it felt like the torch had been passed from one generation to the next.
Over the next couple of seasons, Leonard would start to cement his legacy as one of the most imposing defensive players in league history. He won back-to-back NBA Defensive Player of The Year awards in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016. His physicality, wingspan, and athleticism made life miserable for opposing offensive players. As a team, the Spurs had some fantastic regular season records, including a 67-15 mark that was overshadowed by the Golden State Warriors’ 73 wins. San Antonio was not able to make it back to the NBA Finals in those seasons, however, losing to the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder, respectively.
After Tim Duncan retired, Leonard, Ginobili, and Parker got back to the Western Conference Finals in 2016-2017. Many fans believe it would have been an interesting series, but Leonard got hurt in Game 1 after landing on Zaza Pachulia’s foot. He was not able to play in any of the remaining games, and San Antonio was swept.
Kawhi Leonard – Toronto Raptors
Things were never quite the same for Leonard in San Antonio after that. He only suited up for nine games in 2017-2018 while recovering from a mysterious leg injury, and making his trade demands known to the organization. Reports stated that Kawhi Leonard wanted to play for either the Clippers or Los Angeles Lakers, but the Spurs needed to make a move that they felt best helped their team moving forward. They ended up trading him to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl.
Toronto may not have been his first choice, but Leonard had one of the best seasons any individual player could have. He left no doubt that his scoring had caught up with his already stifling defensive ability, averaging over 26 points per game with the Raptors.
His championship experience with San Antonio proved to be immensely valuable for Toronto during their playoff run. He made one of the most iconic shots in league history during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers. It took a few bounces, but the shot eventually dropped in, and Leonard was instantly elevated to hero status in Canada.
His dynamic play continued through the conference finals and into the NBA Finals, where Toronto won all three games at Oracle Arena on the road to defeating the Golden State Warriors. It was the franchise’s first title, and Leonard won his second NBA Finals MVP award.
Kawhi Leonard – Los Angeles Clippers
Despite a magical year north of the American border, Leonard was still determined to be a free agent so he could have control over picking his third team in as many years. Although he couldn’t find his way to Los Angeles the year before, it was confirmed by Chris Haynes in the summer of 2019 that he would end up with the Clippers. The franchise pushed all its chips to the middle of the table, having also acquired All-Star forward Paul George for several valuable draft picks.
Like everyone in the 2019-2020 campaign, the Clippers needed to adjust to unexpected pandemic circumstances by finishing the season in the NBA bubble. Los Angeles had a 3-1 series lead in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Denver Nuggets, but could not obtain that one elusive win to advance in the postseason.
It was a disappointing end to the first year of the Leonard-George era, and the Clippers decided to bring in head coach Ty Lue in hopes of getting over the hump. Although they finished with a worse regular season record in 2020-2021, the attitude around the team was much different. They made it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Unfortunately, Leonard suffered an ACL injury in that series, and the Phoenix Suns were able to advance past the Clippers to the NBA Finals. That injury would end up keeping Leonard out for the 2021-2022 campaign as well.
Kawhi Leonard – NBA Future
By all accounts, it seems like Leonard has fully recovered from his ACL injury, and should be ready to play when the 2022-2023 season starts. It will be a huge year for Los Angeles, who knows that their championship window will not stay open forever. The team signed veteran point guard John Wall during the offseason, which will allow the Clippers to challenge the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference next year.
Who is better Steph Curry or Kawhi Leonard?
There is no easy answer when it comes to comparing Kawhi Leonard and Steph Curry. Kawhi is an outstanding defender and can score in a variety of ways, while Steph is the best shooter in the world and can also create plays for his teammates. Ultimately, Steph Curry is a better player because of his shooting ability and his overall versatility on offense. Kawhi is an excellent player, but Steph Curry is just a step above him.
How long are Kawhi Leonard arms?
One od the largest wingspans in the NBA, Kawhi Leonard’s arms stretch out to 7 feet 3 inches.
Did Kawhi Leonard want to go to Toronto?
Kawhi made it quite clear right from the get go that he plans to leave Toronto. So while he enjoyed his stay there and helped out the team immensely, he didn’t really want to go there.
How heavy is Kawhi?
Kawhi Leonard weighs about 225 lbs.
