The LA Clippers are thankful to have an all-world talent the likes of Kawhi Leonard on their roster. While Kawi's health has forced him to miss crucial parts of his Clippers career, the organization is more than aware that all it takes is one healthy postseason run, and Leonard can give them a true chance at a championship.
Over the course of his 13-year career, Kawhi has grown by leaps and bounds. After beginning his NBA tenure as simply a defensive specialist, he grew into one of the most prolific talents in the entire league, reaching peaks few other players in the history of the game have ever reached.
As such, he has a bevy of remarkable statistical achievements that many fans are likely not fully aware of. Here, we will review Kawhi's career-highs in each of the top box score categories.
Kawhi Leonard career-high games:
45 points vs Mavericks - 2021
Any Clippers fan that has been following since Paul George and Kawhi Leonard arrived in town should remember this one. Down 3-2 in their 2021 first round playoff series with the Dallas Mavericks, the Clippers were on the brink of elimination.
Kawhi dug deep and pulled out arguably the greatest playoff game of his entire career. Looking like a well-oiled machine, Leonard nailed pull-up jump shot after pull-up jump shot down the stretch of the game, burying the Mavs and forcing a Game 7 where LA would emerge victorious. It was a fantastic reminder of just how much of an engine Kawhi is when he gets going offensively.
16 rebounds vs Jazz - 2021
Not known as an overpowering rebounding presence, Kawhi outdid himself with this performance against the Jazz in January 2021. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that he grabbed this many boards with Rudy Gobert playing 24 minutes on the other side. This was the second and most recent time Leonard grabbed his career-high of 16 boards in a game.
10 assists vs Lakers - 2024
One thing has remained true throughout Kawhi's tenure with the Clippers: whenever he takes on the Lakers, he always handles the matchup with 100% seriousness, even in the regular season. In a matchup with LAL earlier this year, Leonard tied his career-high 10 assist mark in a loss to the Lake Show, marking the fourth time he has recorded that many assists in a single contest.
7 steals vs Warriors - 2015
Now we get into the categories that truly make Kawhi a unicorn of sorts. Before he became as refined as he is now offensively, Leonard expended a significant amount more energy on the defensive end, which led to monster performances like this one against the eventual NBA champion Warriors. Seven steals against the likes of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson is no joke.
6 blocks vs Nuggets - 2014
Another performance that came during a Defensive Player of the Year campaign for Kawhi, his six blocks against the Nuggets came on the road and at a high altitude. Logging six blocks in a game is an extremely difficult feat, especially for a non-center or for a player below six-foot-eight. Leonard likely learned some defensive instincts from Tim Duncan during his time with the Spurs that made him such a force in one-on-one situations.