Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard
	Leonard in 2022
No. 2 – Los Angeles Clippers
Position	Small forward
League	NBA
Personal information
Born	June 29, 1991 (age 33); Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school	Canyon Springs; (Moreno Valley, California); Martin Luther King; (Riverside, California);
College	San Diego State (2009–2011)
NBA draft	2011: 1st round, 15th overall pick
	Selected by the Indiana Pacers
Playing career	2011–present
Career history
2011–2018	San Antonio Spurs
2018–2019	Toronto Raptors
2019–present	Los Angeles Clippers
Career highlights and awards
	2× NBA champion (2014, 2019); 2× NBA Finals MVP (2014, 2019); 6× NBA All-Star (2016, 2017, 2019–2021, 2024); NBA All-Star Game MVP (2020); 3× All-NBA First Team (2016, 2017, 2021); 3× All-NBA Second Team (2019, 2020, 2024); 2× NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2015, 2016); 3× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2015–2017); 4× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2014, 2019–2021); NBA All-Rookie First Team (2012); NBA steals leader (2015); NBA 75th Anniversary Team; AP Athlete of the Year (2019); Consensus second-team All-American (2011); 2× First-team All-MWC (2010, 2011); No. 15 retired by San Diego State Aztecs; California Mr. Basketball (2009);
	Stats at NBA.com
	Stats at Basketball Reference

Kawhi Anthony Leonard (/kəˈhwaɪ/ kə-WHY;^[1] 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 six-time member of the All-NBA Team (including three First Team selections). 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,^[2]^[3]^[4] 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 opted to forgo his final two seasons of college eligibility to enter the 2011 NBA draft. He was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 15th overall pick before being traded to the San Antonio Spurs on draft night.

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

^ "2023-24 start of season NBA pronunciation guide" (Press release). National Basketball Association. October 24, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
^ Youngmisuk (May 12, 2020). "Ranking the top 74 NBA players of all time". ESPN. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
^ Wells, Adams. "Michael Jordan Says Kawhi Leonard Is the 'Best 2-Way Player' in the NBA". BleacherReport. Archived from the original on August 21, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
^ Bailey, Andy (June 18, 2024). "Ranking the Top 50 NBA Playoff Performers of All Time". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 22, 2024.

[1] "2023-24 start of season NBA pronunciation guide" (Press release). National Basketball Association. October 24, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2024.

[2] Youngmisuk (May 12, 2020). "Ranking the top 74 NBA players of all time". ESPN. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2023.

[3] Wells, Adams. "Michael Jordan Says Kawhi Leonard Is the 'Best 2-Way Player' in the NBA". BleacherReport. Archived from the original on August 21, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2023.

[4] Bailey, Andy (June 18, 2024). "Ranking the Top 50 NBA Playoff Performers of All Time". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 22, 2024.

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