Kawhi Leonard's girlfriend is Kishele Shipley. Leonard is superstar forward for the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers.
He played college basketball with the San Diego State Aztecs and has his number retired at the university. In 2009, Leonard was named California's Mr. Basketball while playing at Martin Luther King High School.
The Indiana Pacers took Leonard with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft but immediately traded him to the San Antonio Spurs. Leonard is a two-time NBA champion with the Spurs and Toronto Raptors, winning Finals MVP both times.
He is a six-time All-Star, two-time Defensive Player of the Year and has been named First Team All-NBA three times. Leonard's net worth in 2024 is $80 million.
Leonard's stellar career has nevertheless been marked by injuries and resulting load management, leaving many NBA fans wondering what might have been. Despite the issues, Leonard has certainly done enough to be inducted to the Hall of Fame whenever his career comes to a close.
Leonard has a notoriously quiet and private demeanor. It is close to impossible to know much about Leonard's personal life.
Leonard has had a girlfriend since college, and the couple share two children. Let's learn more about Kawhi Leonard's girlfriend, Kishele Shipley.
Who is Kishele Shipley?
Kishele Shipley attended San Diego State at the same time as Leonard. She hails from San Diego.
Shipley took public administration at San Diego State and left with a bachelor's degree. She is listed as a Human Resources expert, but it is unclear if she holds a position in the field in Los Angeles.
Leonard spends a lot of time at home while not playing basketball, so Shipley doesn't need to worry about someone looking after the kids while she pursues her goal of working in public administration. She follows her partner's lead and has no social media accounts. Shipley also wants to stay out of the public eye.
Shipley and Leonard had their first child in 2016, a daughter named Kaliyah. Kaliyah has been sheltered from the media but made a rare public appearance in 2019 at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. Leonard missed a game in April 2019 due to the birth of his son, whose name is unknown.
Kishele has been by Kawhi's side since his days at San Diego State. Leonard led the Raptors to their first NBA championship in 2019, and Shipley was supporting him the entire time. The couple vacationed in Barbados with their family to celebrate the win.
Kawhi Leonard, Kishele Shipley's relationship
How Kawhi Leonard’s Girlfriend Kishele Shipley is Just Like Him; Photos of Her Celebrating Raptors Championship (Pics-Vids) https://t.co/l4tZyx77tB pic.twitter.com/jXXDcLLGcA
— Robert Littal BSO (@BSO) June 18, 2019
Leonard and Shipley haven't tied the knot yet, but Shipley has been seen wearing an engagement ring. Shipley took off the ring before being asked about it by reporters, so it appears she and Leonard are trying to keep their potential nuptials a secret.
Leonard has said that his move to L.A. to play for the Clippers was due to wanting to be close to family.
“It was about what the future has to hold. And for me, myself, and my family, that's what type of decision I had to make. It's no discredit to Toronto, I just wanted to play at home,” he said in an interview with Yahoo Sports in 2019. “It's like we're in the NBA and I played eight years already.
“Eight years can fly by so fast, and we're not able to do anything with [our families] eight or nine months of the season… So once the summer comes, you got three months to either go see the family, train, and do your other business obligations. There's really no time to see them, to see your family. I love my family.”
The private couple has done a good job of limiting the amount of public knowledge about them. This is no small task with the celebrity status that Leonard has generated. Nevertheless, this is all we know about Kawhi Leonard's girlfriend, Kishele Shipley.
Follow Us
Subscribe