Steelers Lineman Gets Gift From NBA Star

"I would probably say Kawhi Leonard," Anderson said when asked what's a topic he knows way too much about besides football. "I know his birthday, he's from California, went to Martin Luther King High School, best basketball player ever to live."

Later, a few days after Anderson's love of Leonard went public and he reached the Clippers and they sent him over a small gift bag to celebrate his recent 24th birthday, which came less than a week ago while Anderson and the Steelers were going through workouts at mandatory minicamp before breaking for a month in anticipation of training camp.

It's easy to see why Anderson loves Leonard so much. He's a model of a two-way wing, possessing just about every skill necessary to help his team win basketball games. Health has held him back, but he's won multiple titles and Finals MVPs. His 2019 playoff run with the Toronto Raptors, which ended in the franchise's first championship, is widely considered one of the more impressive playoff runs in recent memory.

Basketball runs in Anderson's blood, too. His cousin Harry Giles III played at Duke and was a first-round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017. He's currently on a two-way contract with the Lakers and played most of this season in the G League.

When Anderson opened his gift from the Clippers, he got a bobblehead and signed Leonard jersey. Anderson was too stunned to offer many words so he settled on just one thing to say and it was easy to predict what he had to say.

"Kawhi's the best player to ever touch a basketball."