Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is without a doubt one of the best players of his era. But unlike his colleagues who share the same elite status, Leonard doesn't flaunt his personal life that much. But as his fame grew, especially when he won his second title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, it seems that Leonard couldn't escape sharing little bits of his personal life. As the title of this article suggests, here's what we know about Kawhi Leonard's kids.
Kawhi Leonard's Kids: Kaliyah and a mystery son
Leonard has two kids with his longtime girlfriend Kishele Shipley. While it's unclear if they have tied the knot or not yet, Kawhi and Kishele met at San Diego State University where Leonard was slowly making a name for himself in the basketball ranks.
Their first daughter Kaliyah was born in 2016 when Leonard was still a member of the San Antonio Spurs. Months before her birth, Spurs reporter Jabari Young announced the good news and welcomed The Klaw to fatherhood. As a side note, Leonard was invited to participate in the 2016 Rio Olympics but had to decline. He sent out a formal statement to announce this but did not indicate the specific reason. However, there was a good hunch that it was due to the birth of his first child.
Kaliyah isn't as famous as NBA kids like Riley Curry or Bronny James. This is in large part because Leonard doesn't use Twitter or Instagram that much. Some athletes prefer to keep their personal life out of the public eye. So whenever they use social media, it's either to promote their sponsors, their team or show some love to their fans. But Leonard does not even post at all.
However, given her dad's fame, it was inevitable that Kaliyah entered the limelight during the Raptors' championship parade in 2019. There she is, sleeping soundly, completely oblivious to the applause and cheers around her.
.@raptors @kawhileonard celebrates with his girlfriend Kishele Shipley while their daughter Kaliyah naps oblivious to the deafening roars of #WeTheNorth #wethenorthday #toronto pic.twitter.com/aDFHAaII2p
— Frank Gunn (@frankgunnphoto) June 17, 2019
Kaliyah didn't just sleep the entire parade, however. Daddy Kawhi carried her around and she even got a chance to be up close with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Kawhi and his daughter chat with Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau! 🇨🇦❤️ pic.twitter.com/sN7coa3ahX
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 17, 2019
Kaliyah once again had her 15 seconds of fame during the 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend festivities in Chicago. While they were posing for media photos after Leonard won All-Star MVP, Kaliyah pointed to Kawhi's jersey and asked, “Why are you wearing that all the time?” As of writing, the clip has amassed over three million views.
Their second child was born in April 2019 but very little is known about the baby boy. There are no reports of the boy's name other than he was born in Canada. However, there are no reports or documents to verify this other than when Leonard, when he was first introduced as a member of the Clippers, thanked Toronto doctors for delivering his son.
Just like the birth of Kaliyah, Leonard put basketball to the side to welcome his son. Leonard missed a game against the Chicago Bulls. Initially, the reason behind his absence was not revealed, worrying fans. Later on, it was announced that he welcomed their second child, which pretty much alleviated all the fans' worries.
Again, very little is known about Kawhi Leonard's son. He has been seen in several of Kawhi's public appearances outside of games. But other than that, there are not many reports on what his name is, how he's like, or if he has massive hands like his father. Perhaps if Leonard wins another title, we'll see more of the little boy. Until then, fans should pray hard for Kawhi to post something personal on his social media accounts.
But if you're a real Leonard fan, you'd understand and accept that The Klaw will never post something very personal — at least throughout the course of his NBA career. For now, the focus seems to be to win as many titles as possible. Leonard may not say much during interviews, but it's very clear that he wants to be known as one of the best players in history. For that to happen, he needs rings — and a lot of them.
The Clippers and Leonard aren't too far from winning a title in 2021. We can assume that they're out for revenge this season after an embarrassing exit in the bubble. They've learned from their mistakes. It's foolish to let your guard down against some of the best athletes in the world. This time around, Leonard will do anything in his power to lead the Clippers to a title, attend a parade in his hometown, and proudly show off his cute children. Kawhi Leonard's kids would definitely get some rare spotlight shone on them then.
Follow Us
Subscribe