Lifestyle

20 Things You Didn't Know About Kawhi Leonard That Make Him Awesome

by Julian Sonny

Call him "the LeBron killer" or "humble hands." Whatever you do, just know that Kawhi Leonard is the future of the San Antonio Spurs, and last night in game three of the NBA Finals, he proved it.

At just 22 years old, his potential is off the charts, but it's his humble attitude playing under Gregg Popovich's system that has so many people in Texas excited.

As one of the more reserved stars in the league, there isn't much that people know about him outside of his three years with the Spurs. He didn't go to a big-time college and wasn't heavily recruited coming out of high school.

He just kind of flew under the radar, but now, everybody's starting to notice. He's solidifying himself as a star on the biggest stage of them all, going up against The King himself. Here's 20 things you didn't know about Kawhi Leonard.

He's from Riverside, California and went to Martin Luther King HS.

He's survived and persevered through tragedy.

Sadly, his father was shot to death at his car wash in Compton in 2008.

He's the youngest in the family, with four older sisters.

He played for San Diego State until his sophomore season.

He was drafted in 2011 by the Indiana Pacers with the 15th overall pick...

...But was traded to the Spurs for George Hill.

Gregg Popovich thinks very highly of him...

"I think he’s going to be a star. And as time goes on, he’ll be the face of the Spurs, I think. At both ends of the court, he is really a special player. And what makes me be so confident about him is that he wants it so badly.

"He wants to be a good player, I mean a great player. He comes early, he stays late, and he’s coachable, he’s just like a sponge. When you consider he’s only had (two years) of college and no training camp yet, you can see that he’s going to be something else.”

...And he's one of the few players he jokes around with.

This is what his hair looks like when it's not braided...

...And this is what it looks like when he's happy.

But this is him on a normal day.

He has no Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

But he was Popeye for Halloween.

He's one of the most humble players in the NBA...

...And loves to take advice from all of the legends around him.

He's a student of the game.

...But knows how to turn up.

His hands are twice the size of a normal human's...

...Which helps him to make plays like this.

He's the future of San Antonio.

Bonus: I wasn't kidding!

Top Photo Courtesy: Tumblr