Kawhi Leonard wasn’t the best player in the league or even in the Western Conference this season, but the Clippers star was the best version of himself, playing at a level that earned him All-NBA Second Team honors on Sunday.
Leonard, who turns 35 next month, picked up his fourth such honor after averaging a career-best 27.9 points on 50.5% shooting, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals over 32.1 minutes a game. He played 65 games this season and earned his seventh career All-Star nod.
This was Leonard’s seventh career All-NBA selection and his fourth with the Clippers. He is one of just three players in franchise history to earn four All-NBA selections.
He joined Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant of the Houston Rockets, and Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell on the All-NBA Second Team
Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham, Lakers’ Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets were named to the All-NBA First Team.
Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray of the Nuggets, Jalen Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks, Chet Holmgren of the Thunder and Jalen Duren of the Pistons were named to the Third Team.
“That’s what you work for,” Leonard said in April. “Coming in any year, you just need to be consistent and have a great ball club with you on the ride, and hopefully hard work pays off. It’d be a great honor to be selected.”
The last time Leonard was named an All-NBA player was in 2024 when he was named to the second team with averages of 23.7 points on 52.5% shooting, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists over 34.3 minutes a game.
Leonard was named to the All-NBA First Team in 2016, 2017 and 2021, a testament to his work ethic that has often been derailed by injuries. He missed significant time in 2024-25 because of lingering right knee injuries, appearing in just 35 games, and missed 10 games this past season because of ankle and foot injuries.
“(Whether you are) listening to music and studying different craftsmanship from basketball or … construction workers, people building houses, it’s always about that extra work and the extra hours you put in,” Leonard said. “So that’s what I took into my craft and wanted to be the best and wanted the best to play. And that’s what I did.”