Kawhi Leonard Named To All-Star Game

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has been named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as an addition to the U.S. player pool for the All-Star Game, the league tweets.

The Feb. 15 All-Star Game will feature two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players, with each team consisting of at least eight players.  After the selection of the initial 24 All-Stars, Leonard was added to bring the total number of U.S. All-Stars to 16, the minimum required under the format.

It’s the seventh time Leonard has been selected as an All-Star. He had been considered one of the biggest snubs after the All-Star reserves were revealed on Sunday. Leonard is averaging a career-high 27.6 points (seventh in the NBA), 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and a league-leading 2.06 steals in 36 games.  He is shooting 49.7% from the field, 39.1% from 3-point range and 91.3% from the free throw line (fourth in the NBA).  Leonard has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 28 games, including a career-high 55-point performance against the Pistons on Dec. 28.

A 14-year NBA veteran, Leonard has earned his seventh All-Star selection. He was the All-Star Game MVP in 2020.

It’s now expected Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns will play for the World team, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.