Nevertheless, they found him "difficult to pin down". Professional careerĪccording 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". It was the third number retirement in program history, after Michael Cage (44) and Milton “Milky” Phelps (22). 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. Leonard was named to the Second Team All-America and left San Diego State to enter the 2011 NBA draft. This time the Aztecs advanced to the Sweet 16, but then they lost to eventual national champions, Connecticut. Led by Leonard, San Diego State once again made the NCAA tournament. ĭuring 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. He led the MWC in rebounding and was named MWC Freshman of the Year, First Team All-MWC, and the 2010 MWC tournament MVP. 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 helped the team achieve a 25–9 record and led them to win the Mountain West Conference (MWC) tournament title. College careerĪs a freshman at San Diego State University in 2009–10, Leonard averaged 12.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game for the Aztecs. Ĭonsidered a four-star recruit by, Leonard was listed in the recruiting rankings of 2009 as the No. Leonard averaged 22.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3 blocks per game that year and was named California Mr. In his senior year there, he and Tony Snell led the King High Wolves to a 30–3 record. Leonard attended Canyon Springs High School in Moreno Valley, California, before transferring to Martin Luther King High School for his junior year. He subsequently moved to his hometown of Los Angeles and signed with the Clippers as a free agent in July 2019. 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). After seven seasons with the Spurs, Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors in 2018. With the Spurs, Leonard won an NBA championship in 2014, when he was named the Finals Most Valuable Player. He was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 15th overall pick before being traded to the San Antonio Spurs on draft night. He opted to forgo his final two seasons of college eligibility to enter the 2011 NBA draft. 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. In 2021, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. Nicknamed the " Claw" or " Klaw" for his ball-hawking skills, he has earned seven All-Defensive Team selections and won Defensive Player of the Year honors in 20. A two-time NBA champion, he is a five-time All-Star and a five-time member of the All-NBA Team (including three First Team selections). Kawhi Anthony Leonard ( / k ə ˈ w aɪ/ kə-WY born June 29, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
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