Short answers, pulled from the story.
Kawhi Leonard has won two NBA championships, one with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014 and one with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. He was named Finals MVP both times, making him one of only three players to win the award with two different teams, alongside LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Leonard earned the nickname "the Claw" or "Klaw" because of his ball-hawking defensive skills and exceptionally large hands, which measure 11 inches across. NBA scouts described him as a physical marvel with a 7-foot-3-inch wingspan when he entered the league in 2011.
In game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on the 12th of May, 2019, Leonard hit a corner shot that bounced off the rim four times before falling, giving the Toronto Raptors a 92-90 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. It was the first game-7 buzzer beater in NBA history.
Leonard won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in both 2015 and 2016. He was the first non-center to win the honor in back-to-back seasons since Dennis Rodman did so in 1989-90 and 1990-91, and one of only three players to win both that award and the Finals MVP, alongside Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon.
In September 2025, reports alleged that Leonard signed a $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration, a company in which Clippers owner Steve Ballmer had invested $50 million, with a later report adding $20 million in company stock for a total of $48 million in promised compensation. Former employees cited anonymously alleged the deal required no action from Leonard beyond remaining a Clipper, suggesting it was used to circumvent the NBA salary cap. The Clippers denied the allegations and the NBA opened an investigation.
Leonard scored a career-high 55 points on the 28th of December, 2025, against the Detroit Pistons, adding 11 rebounds, five steals, and three blocks in a 112-99 win. He shot 17-of-26 from the field and scored 26 of those points in the third quarter alone, becoming the first player in NBA history to record at least 55 points, 10 rebounds, five steals, and three blocks in a single game.