Kawhi, one of the "most interesting" characters of the NBA, identified basketball as "the only thing he could hold onto" right after he tragically lost his father when he was just 16 years old.
He knew that he had to work harder than all his peers, all the great basketball figures he knew. He played in his high school game the day after he buried his father. After the match in which he played with 17 points, 4 assists, and 2 rebounds, he started to think that something had changed in his life. In his speech to the school microphone after the match, he said: “Basketball is my whole life. I want to go out on the field and forget every bad thing I've experienced..."
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 five-time All-Star and a five-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, 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.
Kawhi Leonard, in addition to the many difficulties he had, had another rather big problem. His lack of communication skills would challenge him in every environment he was in and create serious problems. He was not someone who could have pleasant conversations, speak well, and carry out social activities like everyone else. He didn't like being asked questions or being invited somewhere. “If I could, I would just stay at home.” We are talking about someone who says. Indeed it was. But for someone who played basketball well at this level, not socializing in a team sport was far from acceptable. Think of someone who scores at least 25 points every game but doesn't talk to any of his teammates in the locker room or on the court. This corresponded to a situation that could be described as "problematic" for almost every team.
Life story
Kawhi Leonard, an American basketball player, was born on June 29, 1991 in Los Angeles. He continued his love of basketball, which he started in high school, at university attracted attention in college tournaments and participated in the NBA drafts.
He was 19 years old when he was drafted by the Indiana Pacers with the 15th pick in the first round in 2011. He was surprisingly traded to the San Antonio Spurs the night he was drafted. Years later, he would lead San Antonio to a championship at a young age, and Spurs coach Greg Popovich, who discovered him, would again be praised.
The NBA Most Valuable Player Award (Most Valuable Player, or MVP for short) is an award given to players in the NBA. Three Most Valuable Player Awards are given out each year.
He played with names such as Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili in the San Antonio Spurs between 2011 and 2018. These experienced and star names contributed greatly to both his career development and game knowledge. In fact, Kawhi Leonard was called the reincarnation of Tim Duncan due to his calmness and very little laughter.
San Antonio Spurs
At the end of his rookie year with the Spurs, he finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. Kyrie Irving was in first place.
The following season, that is, the 2012-2013 season, he started to get more playing time. He became the Conference Champion with a San Antonio jersey and became the rival of the Miami Heat with LeBron James-Chris Bosh-Dwyane Wade in the NBA finals. Although they lost the series 4-3, Leonard averaged 14.6 points and 11.1 rebounds in the finals he played at the age of 22.
The 2013-2014 season was a turning point for Kawhi Leonard. He broke his career record in scoring statistics in the game against the Memphis Grizzlies in which he scored 26 points. He reached the conference championship with his team and was selected for the 'Reserve Defensive Team of the Year'. In the NBA finals, their opponents were once again the Miami Heat. In San Antonio, which beat the Heat 4-1 in the series, Kawhi Leonard shot 61 percent, averaged 17.8 points, and was selected as the NBA finals MVP at the age of 22 years and 351 days. With this success, he became the 3rd youngest player to be elected MVP in the finals.
He was selected for the 'Defensive Team of the Year' and received the 'Defensive Player of the Year' award in the 2014-2015 season. In the 2015-2016 season, he was selected as an All-Star for the first time in his career. He finished second behind Stephen Curry in the MVP voting and was again selected for the 'Defensive Team of the Year'. He proved that he is now a player of the region by being selected to the All-Star for the second time in the 2017-2018 season. He achieved great success by being selected for the 'Defensive Team of the Year' 3 years in a row.
The 2017-2018 season was difficult for Kawhi Leonard. The star, who struggled with injuries, missed the first 27 games of the season due to a quadriceps (upper calf) injury in his leg. Although he later returned to the field, he could not play at all in 2018 due to the recurrence of his injury and the discomfort in his shoulder.
At the end of the season, a disagreement arose between the Spurs and Leonard over his injury rehab program, and on July 18, 2018, Kawhi and teammate Danny Green were traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Pöltl, and a 2019 No. 1 pick.
Kawhi Leonard, who led his team to the NBA championship in his first season with the Raptors and was selected as the finals MVP for the second time in his career, averaged 30.5 points throughout the finals. Toronto Raptors won the first championship in their history.
Kawhi, who constantly strives to confirm the sentence "He never gives up" said by everyone who knows him, is still considered one of the top 10 players in the NBA, just before he turns 32. Every basketball fan, whether a Los Angeles Clippers fan or not, continues to follow his success story carefully.