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Kawhi Leonard couldn’t beryllium connected the tribunal Thursday nighttime erstwhile the Clippers opened the play against the Golden State Warriors successful San Francisco, but the antheral was neither retired of show nor retired of mind.
On the contrary: A mates of hours earlier tip-off, the two-time NBA Finals MVP was, not surprisingly, portion of the league’s much-anticipated reveal, included among 11 progressive players named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
A two-time NBA champion and two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Leonard was voted a portion of the prestigious postulation of endowment crossed eras, a grouping of the “75 Greatest Players” without respect to position. The database was voted connected by a sheet of existent and erstwhile NBA players, coaches, wide managers and squad and league executives, arsenic good arsenic WNBA legends, sportswriters and broadcasters.
Leonard – who is sidelined indefinitely portion helium rehabs pursuing July 13 country to repair his torn close anterior cruciate ligament – was the 15th wide draught prime retired of San Diego State successful 2011. In 576 games done 10 NBA seasons the stoic, 6-foot-7 tiny guardant has piled up accolades that besides see 5 All-Star Game appearances and 1 All-Star Game MVP.
He’s made an All-NBA squad 5 times, and an NBA All-Defensive squad 7 times. And helium was the league’s steals person successful 2014-15, erstwhile helium had 148 of his 1,013 vocation takeaways (compared to 933 turnovers).
His vocation averages frankincense far: 19.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals.
“I conscionable talked to Kawhi 10 minutes agone astir it,” Clippers manager Tyronn Lue said, via Zoom, earlier tip-off Thursday. “Just telling him congratulations and that’s huge. From being a 15th (overall) prime to being apical 75, that means a lot. It’s a tribute to his hard enactment and dedication and things that he’s been capable to execute successful his career.”
Leonard, 30, grew up successful Moreno Valley and attended Riverside’s Martin Luther King High School and helium was honored alongside Reggie Miller, different Inland Empire large who starred astatine Riverside Poly and past UCLA.
When Miller learned of his enactment unrecorded connected TNT, helium was stunned.
“Whoa!” Miller exclaimed. “Seriously, I, OK. Wow.
“We each cognize this is precise subjective and I look astatine that database and you’re gonna get into who didn’t marque the database and there’s large players connected the list,” Miller continued. “I wasn’t gonna beryllium upset if I wasn’t due to the fact that I would enactment my résumé up against anyone, but who’s connected that database close now, they perfectly – I’m a small shaken close now, due to the fact that I wasn’t expecting to beryllium connected that list, truthfully.”
Selected to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team… Kawhi Leonard! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/ZPRezKM6aC
— NBA (@NBA) October 21, 2021
KAWHI MAKING MORE MOVES
The time earlier helium claimed his spot beside the NBA’s greats, Leonard was pictured boarding a squad formation to San Francisco with his teammates, astir of whom were wearing “Clip Gang oregon Don’t Bang” shirts oregon sweatshirts – supporting Leonard’s prospective caller enactment of attire.
Leonard reportedly filed a trademark for “CLIP GANG” connected Oct. 11, indicating that helium planned to merchantability a CLIP GANG-branded enactment of clothing, akin to the hoodie that created a bully woody of societal media buzz aft helium wore it to the Intuit Dome’s groundbreaking ceremonial past period successful Inglewood.
Leonard besides has an … medium dropping Thursday night. Called “Culture Jam,” the NBA prima – who made an unexpected cameo dancing successful a Drake video this summertime – is simply a co-executive shaper connected the project, which volition diagnostic artists including NBA YoungBoy, Lil Uzi Vert, Gunna, Rod Wave, Polo G, NLE Choppa, A Boogie, Wale, Yung Bleu, Ty Dolla Sign and others.
What’s more, Leonard has partnered with Anheuser-Busch for a enactment of X2 Performance “clean” vigor drinks that volition beryllium distributed successful the L.A. area. Leonard is simply a shareholder successful the company, it said successful a quality merchandise Thursday.
Kawhi Leonard Presents: Culture Jam The Album Vol. 1 (Part 1) TONIGHT 9pm pst/ 12am est pic.twitter.com/Vz2nGrxkPX
— Culture Jam (@culturejam) October 21, 2021
From the inbox: “Anheuser-Busch’s AB ONE Partners with X2 Performance, Bringing Its Clean, Healthy Energy Drinks to Everyday Athletes…
“Partnership delivers organisation for X2’s enactment of drinks successful the hometown marketplace of X2 partner, Clipper Kawhi Leonard.” pic.twitter.com/9TbZ8ABiNM
— Mirjam Swanson (@MirjamSwanson) October 21, 2021
Everyone sporting the clip pack oregon don’t bang gear. Nice!! https://t.co/MlkeuKCQUm
— Jesse Beer (@TheJesseBeer) October 21, 2021
Kawhi Leonard has filed a trademark for "CLIP GANG."
The filing, made connected Oct 11, indicates that Kawhi volition merchantability a CLIP GANG-branded enactment of clothing.
The Clippers prima caused a buzz connected societal media successful September by wearing a "CLIP GANG OR DON'T BANG" hoodie.#clippernation pic.twitter.com/kdgUElOcOH
— Josh Gerben (@JoshGerben) October 15, 2021
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