Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Anthony Leonard (born June 29, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

A two-time NBA champion, he is a six-time All-Star and a five-time member of the All-NBA Team (including three First Team selections).

Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Leonard was listed in the recruiting rankings of 2009 as the No. 8 small forward and the No. 48 player nationwide.

As a freshman at San Diego State University in 2009–10, Leonard averaged 12.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game for the Aztecs.

He helped the team achieve a 25–9 record and led them to win the Mountain West Conference (MWC) tournament title.

The Aztecs thus received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament but would lose in the first round to Tennessee, 62–59, with Leonard recording 12 points and 10 rebounds.

He led the MWC in rebounding and was named MWC Freshman of the Year, First Team All-MWC, and the 2010 MWC tournament MVP.

During his sophomore season, Leonard averaged 15.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per contest as the Aztecs finished with a 34–3 record and won back-to-back conference tournament championships.

Led by Leonard, San Diego State once again made the NCAA tournament.

This time the Aztecs advanced to the Sweet 16, but then they lost to eventual national champions, Connecticut.

He opted to forgo his final two seasons of college eligibility to enter the 2011 NBA draft.

Leonard was named to the Second Team All-America and left San Diego State to enter the 2011 NBA draft.

According to Sports Illustrated, NBA scouts were aware in 2011 that Leonard had a strong work ethic and was a "physical marvel, 6'7" with a 7'3" wingspan and 11-inch hands, too strong to screen and too long to elude".

Nevertheless, they found him "difficult to pin down".

Sporting News has asserted that Leonard was known more for his defense and rebounding than for his offensive capabilities when he first entered the league.

He was compared to Metta World Peace and Gerald Wallace, and his outside shooting (or lack thereof) was a concern.

Leonard was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers but was traded that night to the San Antonio Spurs along with the rights to Erazem Lorbek and Dāvis Bertāns in exchange for George Hill.

On December 10, 2011, following the conclusion of the NBA lockout, he signed a multi-year deal with the Spurs.

Leonard and teammate Tiago Splitter were selected to play in the 2012 Rising Stars Challenge as members of Team Chuck.

Although he suited up for the event, he did not play due to a calf strain.

After starter Richard Jefferson was traded to the Golden State Warriors for Stephen Jackson, Leonard was promoted to the starting small forward position while Jackson served as his backup.

At season's end, Leonard placed fourth in Rookie of the Year voting and was named to the 2012 NBA All-Rookie First Team.

In the summer of 2012, Leonard was among several NBA up-and-comers chosen to play for the 2012 USA men's basketball Select Team.

They trained with the Olympic team, which included Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Chris Paul.

On October 26, 2012, the Spurs exercised the team option on Leonard, re-signing him through the 2013–14 season.

Leonard was selected to play for the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge where he was once again drafted to Team Chuck.

He recorded 20 points and 7 rebounds as Team Chuck defeated Team Shaq for the second straight year 163–135.

With the Spurs, Leonard won an NBA championship in 2014, when he was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

Nicknamed the "Claw" or "Klaw" for his ball-hawking skills and exceptionally large hands, Leonard is often regarded as one of the greatest two-way players in NBA history, earning seven All-Defensive Team selections and winning Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2015 and 2016.

In 2021, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

Leonard played two seasons of college basketball for the San Diego State Aztecs and was named a consensus second-team All-American as a sophomore.

He was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 15th overall pick before being traded to the San Antonio Spurs on draft night.

After seven seasons with the Spurs, Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors in 2018.

In 2019, he led the Raptors to their first NBA championship in franchise history and won his second Finals MVP award (one of only three players to win Finals MVP with multiple teams, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James).

He subsequently moved to his hometown of Los Angeles and signed with the Clippers as a free agent in July 2019.

Leonard attended Canyon Springs High School in Moreno Valley, California, before transferring to Martin Luther King High School for his junior year.

In his senior year there, he and Tony Snell led the King High Wolves to a 30–3 record.

Leonard averaged 22.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3 blocks per game that year and was named California Mr. Basketball.

On February 1, 2020, San Diego State retired Leonard's number 15, making him the first Aztecs men's basketball player to have his jersey raised to the rafters.

It was the third number retirement in program history, after Michael Cage (44) and Milton “Milky” Phelps (22).