Kawhi Leonard

Background

Kawhi Anthony Leonard is one of the most notable N.B.A. players. His skills, along with his versatility on the court, have made him an invaluable player for every team he has been a part of. He was born in Los Angeles, California, U.S., to Mark Leonard and his wife, Kin Robertson; he has four older sisters. He attended Martin Luther King High School in his junior year and played basketball for the school team. His outstanding basketball skills became evident in college. In 2009, he attended San Diego State University and played for the Aztecs. He led his college team to the N.C.A.A. tournament twice and helped it win the Mountain West Conference tournament in 2010.

In 2011, Leonard was selected with the 15th overall pick in the N.B.A. draft by the Indiana Pacers. However, he never got to play for the Pacers as he was immediately traded to the San Antonio Spurs. With his contribution, the Spurs reached the N.B.A. Championship Final, twice. In 2013, the Spurs lost the finals to the Miami Heat. The next year, his team finally had its victory by winning the N.B.A. final on June 10, 2014. He was named the M.V.P. that year. The accolades kept coming in, and he was named N.B.A. Defensive Player of the Year in 2015.

In 2016, he was invited to participate in his first All-Star game selection and to be a part of the Western Conference team. His journey with the Spurs ended in 2018 when he was traded to the Toronto Raptors. In 2019, he led the Raptors to the N.B.A. Final and won his second N.B.A. Championship. He was again named M.V.P. Later in 2019, he signed a deal with his current team, the Los Angeles Clippers. He likes to keep his private life under wraps. He is currently in a relationship with Kishele Shipley, and they have two children.