Kawhi Leonard Discloses Unexpected 'Big Inspiration' in Life

"My daughter's really into tennis, so when I went to the US Open in 2022, and I think Coco [Gauff] won it, I just built this sneaker based off of being there with my daughter," Leonard explained to People magazine. "It's like the tennis-ball material."

Another one of his designs gives a nod to skating, something that was big in California when Leonard was growing up.

"Just giving a nod back to the street culture and skateboarding," Leonard said. "They have their own style and tastes. They don't have no uniform set up. They could just put any pieces together they want."

Leonard has always been a man of few words, gaining a reputation as a near robot, but he believes he can express himself through fashion.

"People could get a sense of your background or your taste just by what you're wearing that day. A lot of people try to match their style with their emotions that day, too. Just being yourself," he shared.

Kawhi Leonard the X-Factor for the 2025-26 LA Clippers

The Clippers have had an impressive offseason considering they didn't have much operating room. They signed Chris Paul and Brook Lopez in free agency, scooped up Bradley Beal off the buyout market, and nabbed John Collins in a three-team trade that sent Norman Powell to the Miami Heat.

That gives the team legitimate depth and star power to make them a Western Conference contender. They won't be as reliant on their defense as they were a season ago, but they'll need to stay healthy as they're an older team. As always, that applies to Kawhi Leonard as well.

Leonard played just 37 games last season as he recovered from a knee injury late in the 2023-24 season. He played well when he was out there, averaging 21.5 PPG and 5.9 RPG, shooting over 41% from three for the third straight season.

If the Clippers are going to be contenders this season, it will depend on Leonard being healthy in the playoffs and, to some extent, the regular season. He'll have to find chemistry with his new teammates, especially learning how to share the scoring load with Bradley Beal.