Two-time NBA Champ Kawhi Leonard turned pain into passion

Many always joke about how Kawhi is always quiet and boring, but he pours all his feelings into the sport as a silent assassin.

TLDR

• Growing up, Kawhi was surrounded by violence, gangs, and drugs in his neighborhood in Los Angeles.

• Despite the negative environment, Kawhi’s dad steered him in the right direction and first exposed him to the world of sports with football and basketball.

• By his sophomore year of high school, Kawhi dedicated all his time to just basketball and was eventually ranked the 8th best small forward in the nation. Despite his early success, Kawhi was then hit with a devastating loss after finding out his father was shot and murdered.

• Even though Kawhi faced so much pain, he kept his head down playing at SDSU and perfected his craft in order to see his and his father’s dreams come to fruition.

• After all his dedication, Kawhi was selected 15th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2011 Draft. Even with all the accolades has racked up in the league, he keeps the same level of focus to the sport as a way to honor his dad.

Kawhi has played across three different NBA teams since entering the league, but he’s now back home in Los Angeles playing for the Clippers. Being born and raised in LA, Kawhi was accustomed to the violence and murders that surrounded his neighborhood.

At an early age, Kawhi and his four sisters were exposed to the streets and the world of gangs, drugs, gambling, and prostitution. Despite the unhealthy environment, Kawhi was steered in a positive and nurturing direction by his dad. When it came to sports, Kawhi’s dad even helped train and perfect Kawhi’s game in both football and basketball. The two spent a lot of time other; Kawhi’s dad can be credited for a lot of Kawhi’s development as both an athlete and a young man.

Although Kawhi took on both football and basketball growing up, he decided he would want to pursue an NBA career instead of an NFL one. By his sophomore year of high school, Kawhi dedicated all his time to just basketball. Once he did that, he saw more and more success. By his senior year, he led his team alongside future NBA player Tony Snell, to a 30-3 record. Kawhi was even ranked the 8th best small forward in the nation. He was also dubbed "Mr. Basketball" in California after averaging 22.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3 blocks per game. He was built to be a pro.

Kawhi’s dreams were becoming in clear sight right when he was hit with one of the lowest points of his life. Kawhi lost his father to an act of violence just 24 hours before one of Kawhi’s games. Kawhi’s dad, Mark, was in the middle of closing up his shop when a couple of men came to him and started up an argument. One of the guys ended up taking out his gun and fired 30 shots at Mark. Although Mark was able to make it to the hospital, he was immediately pronounced dead on site. It was a senseless murder, as the man responsible for Mark's death was never even found.

As much of a role model and best friend Mark was for his son, you can only imagine how much this tragedy impacted Kawhi. Despite the pain he faced, Kawhi managed to still play in his upcoming game from start to finish. He may have kept himself composed on the floor, but immediately following the game, Kawhi rushed to his mom and let the tears flow. The tragedy was beyond devastating for Kawhi and changed the routine of his life— no more calls after practice, no more seeing his dad in the stands, and no more training together in the summer.

Even though Kawhi was hit with eternal heartbreak, he pushed forward and poured all his pain into basketball. He was driven to make the NBA more than ever at this point. Kawhi's passion for basketball became an obsession as he approached college. He essentially chose to play college basketball at San Diego State University to stay close to his family. His focus was locked all the way in. Kawhi spent his afternoons training at 3 different gyms and even when team practices were over, he went to LA Fitness to run pickup games, and then lifted until they turned the lights off. That’s what you call dedication.. Kawhi worked on refining all areas of his game, to not only being an elite defender but a threat on offense as well. As a sophomore, Kawhi averaged a double-double and led his team to the Sweet 16.

At this point, it was clear Kawhi would be a first-round NBA draft pick. Fast forward to the 2011 draft, he was selected 15th overall by the San Antonio Spurs. He was now able to live out a dream for both himself and his dad. Plus, once he got to the league, he did not let up.

In 2012, Kawhi made the all-NBA rookie first team and finished 4th in Rookie of the Year voting. Just 2 years later, Kawhi led the Spurs to a Championship over Miami’s Big 3. Not to mention, he became one of the youngest Finals MVPs in league history. It was a great accolade in itself, but what made it even better was that he won the award on Father's Day. His father was surely looking down proud as ever to see his son winning on the biggest stage of the sport.

There’s no need to justify whether or not Kawhi is a “fun guy” or not. Kawhi simply plays for the love of the game and honors his late father while doing so every time he steps on the court. You may call him emotionless or boring, but he has the heart and the strength above all else. All the respect and praise to the Claw.

• This team showed lots of love and support 👏

• Little did these players know they would face off as pros too 🏀

• Can you imagine how hard it is to find this size shoe?!👟

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