Kawhi Leonard

Early life

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.

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.

College career

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

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).

Professional career

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.

San Antonio Spurs (2011–2018)

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 chose to wear the jersey number 2, which was the number he wore as a child, as his No. 15 jersey was already worn by Spurs player Matt Bonner. Leonard has continued to wear this jersey number throughout his professional career.

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.

The San Antonio Spurs advanced to the NBA Finals where they faced the Miami Heat. Leonard averaged 14.6 points and 11.1 rebounds during the Finals as the Spurs lost the series in seven games.

On April 6, 2014, Leonard scored a season-high 26 points in the Spurs' 112–92 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. He finished the season averaging 12.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.7 steals while shooting 52.2% from the field. Leonard helped the Spurs to a 62–20 record – the number one seed in the NBA – and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team for the first time.

Toronto Raptors (2018–2019)

In June 2018, reports surfaced claiming that Leonard had requested a trade from the Spurs and that he did so after months of tension between his camp and the Spurs stemming from a disagreement over his injury rehabilitation program, requesting to be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. His request to go to the Lakers was not fulfilled, as a month later, on July 18, Leonard and teammate Danny Green were traded to the Toronto Raptors instead, in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Pöltl and a protected 2019 first-round draft pick. It was a risky move for the Raptors and their president, Masai Ujiri, given the concerns over Leonard's health and the possibility of him leaving as a free agent at the end of the season. In his debut for the Raptors in their season opener on October 17, Leonard had 24 points and 12 rebounds in a 116–104 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Two days later, he had 31 points and 10 rebounds in a 113–101 win over the Boston Celtics.

Leonard was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played November 26 – December 2. On January 1, 2019, he scored a then career-high 45 points in a 122–116 win over the Utah Jazz. On January 31, against the Milwaukee Bucks, Leonard's career-high streak of scoring at least 20 points in 22 consecutive games ended when he had 16 points in a 105–92 loss.

In game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers, Leonard had a playoff career-high 45 points, on 16-of-23 (69.6%) shooting, to lead the Raptors in a 108–95 victory. He became just the second player in Raptors history to eclipse 40 points in a playoff game, joining Vince Carter (50 points, 2001). In the deciding game 7, Leonard hit a shot from the corner at the buzzer that bounced off the rim four times before falling to give the Raptors a 92–90 victory over the 76ers to advance to the Eastern Conference finals. He finished the game with 41 points on 16-of-39 shooting. This was the first game 7 buzzer beater in NBA history and caused the normally stoic Leonard to let out a victorious scream as he was swarmed by his teammates. Leonard said of the shot afterward: "It was great. That's something I've never experienced before, Game 7, game-winning shot. It was a blessing to be able to get to that point and make that shot and feel that moment. It's something I can look back on in my career."

The Raptors continued their 2019 NBA playoffs march against the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. In game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, Leonard scored 36 points, including eight in the second overtime, to help the Raptors beat Milwaukee 118–112 to cut the Bucks' series lead to 2–1. In game 5, he helped the Raptors take a 3–2 lead with 35 points on five 3-pointers to go with seven rebounds and nine assists in a 105–99 win. In game 6, he had 27 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Raptors into the NBA Finals for the first time with a 100–94 victory. Leonard put an exclamation point on the conference victory with a huge dunk on 2019 NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo that was set up by a Kyle Lowry steal.

Los Angeles Clippers (2019–present)

On July 10, 2019, Leonard signed with his hometown team, the Los Angeles Clippers, to a reported three-year, $103 million contract, which included an opt-out clause in 2021 who also acquired Paul George that offseason from the Thunder for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round draft picks, and the rights to swap two other first-round picks in a trade. Leonard debuted for the Clippers on October 22, 2019, where he put up 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists in a 112–102 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. On October 24, he recorded 21 points and tied a career-high 9 assists in a 141–122 win over the Golden State Warriors. On December 11, Leonard returned to Toronto for the first since joining the Clippers and was met with a tribute and a standing ovation from the crowd before scoring 23 points and recording six assists in 112–92 win over the Raptors. Two days later, Leonard scored a then season-high 42 points along with 11 rebounds in a 124–117 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was the first time in franchise history that two players eclipsed 40 points, as teammate Paul George scored 46 points. On Christmas Day, the Clippers and Lakers met once again in a much anticipated matchup, in which Leonard put up 35 points on 11-of-19 shooting and 12 rebounds to lead the Clippers to a 111–106 comeback win despite trailing by as much as 15. On January 14, 2020, Leonard scored a season-high 43 points in just 29 minutes in a 128–103 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from January 13 through 19. On January 24, Leonard recorded his first career triple-double with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists (a new career-high) in a 122–117 win over the Miami Heat. On February 16, Leonard was named the NBA All-Star Game MVP of the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, becoming the first recipient of the award after its renaming in Kobe Bryant's honor.

After the 2019–20 NBA season was suspended on March 11 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Leonard and the Clippers returned to action in the NBA Bubble at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando on July 30. Leonard played six out of the team's eight seeding games and was eventually selected to the NBA's All-Bubble Second Team, averaging 28.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists. In the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs, the Clippers eliminated the Dallas Mavericks in six games while Leonard recorded over 30 points in five consecutive games and averaged 32.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists for the series. The Clippers were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals, losing in seven games after surrendering a 3–1 series lead. In game 7, Leonard performed poorly, scoring only 14 points while shooting 6-of-22 from the field. Leonard was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the second time, and to his fourth All-NBA Team overall.

National team career

In 2015, Leonard played in he United States team's showcase game, scoring 14 points for the USA White team. Leonard was a finalist for both the 2016 and 2020 United States men's Olympic basketball team rosters.

Leonard was originally chosen to be a member of the 2024 United States men's Olympic basketball team as part of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. However, despite participating in a few practices with the team, on July 10, 2024, just before the team's first friendly scrimmage with Canada, he withdrew from the Olympic roster after consultations with the Clippers and USA Basketball officials. He was replaced by Derrick White of the Boston Celtics.

Player profile

Standing 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) tall and weighing 230 pounds (104 kg), Leonard primarily plays as a small forward.

Leonard is regarded as one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, thanks to his combination of athleticism, size and intelligence. Highly versatile, he is capable of guarding at least three positions, and has frequently been deployed against the opposing team's star player. In 2021, to commemorate the NBA's 75th anniversary, The Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Leonard as the 34th greatest player in NBA history.

Known early in his career primarily as an elite defender and floor spacer, Leonard began taking on a larger offensive responsibility from the 2015–16 season on and quickly established himself as one of the most efficient scorers in the league. He has developed a versatile offensive game, capable of hitting shots reliably from midrange and 3-point range, posting up his opponents and shooting pull-up jumpers and fadeaways. Playmaking has been cited as a weakness of Leonard's—in his first eight seasons, he had never averaged more than 3.5 assists per game. Leonard improved his passing game in the 2019–20 season, logging a career-high 4.9 assists per game, nearly doubling his career average.

Career statistics

Awards and honors

NBA

2× NBA champion: 2014, 2019

2× NBA Finals MVP: 2014, 2019

7× NBA All-Star: 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, 2026

NBA All-Star MVP: 2020

7× All-NBA:

3× All-NBA First Team: 2016, 2017, 2021

4× All-NBA Second Team: 2019, 2020, 2024, 2026

2× NBA Defensive Player of the Year: 2015, 2016

7× All-Defensive Selection:

3× NBA All-Defensive First Team: 2015, 2016, 2017

4× NBA All-Defensive Second Team: 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021

NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2012

NBA steals leader: 2015

NBA Bubble All-Seeding Games Second Team: 2020

NBA 75th Anniversary Team (2021)

College

Consensus second team All-American (2011)

NABC All-American Third Team (2011)

2× First-team All-Mountain West (2010–2011)

2× All-Mountain West All-Tournament Team (2010–2011)

Personal life

Leonard was born in Los Angeles on June 29, 1991, the son of Kim Robertson and Mark Leonard. He has four older sisters and is a cousin of NFL player Stevie Johnson. On January 18, 2008, his father was shot and killed at the car wash he owned in Compton, California. Leonard insisted on playing the next evening and broke down crying after the game. The murder has not been solved.

Leonard has been with his girlfriend Kishele Shipley, with whom he has two children, since they were in college. Known for his quiet and taciturn demeanor, he rarely gives interviews and avoids questions about his private life. He has said that he avoids both news media and social media.

In November 2018, Leonard reportedly signed a multi-year endorsement deal with New Balance, having previously signed with Air Jordan. In June 2019, he filed a federal lawsuit against Air Jordan's parent company Nike, claiming that Nike copyrighted his "Klaw" logo without his consent.

Following the January 2020 Calabasas helicopter crash that killed all nine people on board, including basketball player Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, Leonard revealed that the pilot Ara Zobayan also worked as his pilot.

On May 3, 2021, Leonard took to Instagram Live for the first time, chatting with basketball player Mikey Williams and announcing that he would release a hip hop album called Culture Jam later in the year. He described the project as "merging hip-hop and basketball together". He also shared a snippet of a track titled "Everything Different" featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Rod Wave. The album aimed to benefit Mamba & Mambacita, a charity created in memory of Kobe and Gianna Bryant. On July 23, he released the songs "Waves" and "Everything Different". Two months later, he had a cameo in the music video for Drake's song "Way 2 Sexy".

Salary cap scandal

On September 3, 2025, Leonard was named in a scandal involving a deal he signed with since-bankrupt fraudulent environmental company Aspiration in 2021. Investigative sportswriter Pablo Torre reported that Leonard had signed a $28 million "no-show" endorsement deal with Aspiration which had not required any action on Leonard's part, other than remaining a Clipper. Torre cited anonymous former employees of the company to allege that Leonard's deal with the company, in which Clippers' owner Steve Ballmer had invested $50 million, was a means of paying Leonard under the table to circumvent the NBA salary cap. John Karalis of the Boston Sports Journal later reported that Leonard also received an additional $20 million in Aspiration company stock, bringing Leonard's total promised compensation from the company to $48 million. The NBA responded by announcing it was investigating the matter.

The Clippers immediately denied the allegations, calling them "absurd" and "flat-out wrong" in multiple team statements. Ballmer gave an interview to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne on September 4, claiming that the team had introduced Leonard to Aspiration after signing a $300 million sponsorship agreement with the company, which is allowed under NBA rules, but had no further involvement in any endorsement deals the parties signed. He claimed that he had no knowledge of the terms of the contract Leonard had signed, and stated he was a victim of fraud by Aspiration, expressing "anger" and "sadness" for his employees.

The Toronto Star later reported that during contract talks with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, Leonard's camp wanted the team to trade for Paul George, that later reportedly led to a Thunder offer to trade Paul George and Russell Westbrook to the Raptors, in exchange for Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and four unprotected first-round picks which was later declined by the Raptors, to give him shares in the Toronto Maple Leafs (which are also owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment), and at least $10 million annually in no-show sponsorship income. The Athletic also reported that, during the 2019 free agency negotiation with the Lakers, Leonard's uncle, who was representing him in the negotiation, asked for a private aircraft, a home, guaranteed endorsement deals, and an equity stake in the team, all of which would violate the league's salary cap rules. On September 11, Torre released another podcast episode alleging that Clippers' co-owner and chairman Dennis Wong had invested $1.9 million in Aspiration nine days before Leonard was paid $1.75 million in December 2022, despite the company struggling financially at the time and laying off 20% of employees the same day the payment was made. The Clippers issued a statement to Torre that they welcomed the NBA investigation, and calling Aspiration a "house of cards".