Kawhi Leonard had an amazing ability to lift any object with his palm. In fact, his insane palming ability had once left Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, and Tony Parker shocked while shooting a famous HEB commercial. Five years before his $23,114,066 move to the Toronto Raptors, Kawhi showed us a glimpse of his ‘fun guy’ side while shooting one of HEB’s laundry commercials. This classic commercial clip is once again doing rounds on the internet, with SportsCenter reposting the same.
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As a rookie, Kawhi Leonard had cemented his legacy into the San Antonio Spurs’ franchise culture. Many even consider Leonard’s case as one of the boldest Spurs projects yet. Coach Gregg Popovich had immense faith in Leonard, even to start running plays for him. Leonard was a crucial part of the Spurs’ 2014 title campaign and named the Finals MVP that very year.
Kawhi Leonard had Tim Duncan amazed by his palming abilities
Don’t take Kawhi Leonard’s silent nature and reserved personality for granted. The man is the true definition of the ‘fun guy’ and can awe everyone with his talents and skills. While shooting a laundry commercial for H E B, Kawhi shocked Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, and Tony Parker with his palming skills. He picked up a pile of laundry clothes with the palm of his right hand. Tim Duncan was shocked to the point he ended up dropping his laundry basket. Witnessing all of this, Manu Ginobili exclaimed,
“Indubitably!… Your hand man! It’s like you’re a part bear.”
Perhaps, Kawhi’s hidden talents put people in awe of his abilities almost every day. Five years after shooting this commercial, Leonard was traded by the Spurs to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poltl, and a protected 2019 first-round draft pick. Kawhi’s last season with the Spurs was plagued with injuries, which made him miss out on crucial games.
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Moving to Toronto Raptors sparked a rejuvenated energy in Leonard. He was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week in December and scored his career-high 45 points in a 122-116 win over the Utah Jazz. Leonard led the Raptors to win their first NBA championship and was once again named the Finals MVP in 2019.
Kawhi had Kevin Hart rolling with laughter after iconic ‘fun guy’ remark
In a 2018 episode of ESPN’s Get Up! show, Kevin Hart was rolling with laughter following Kawhi Leonard’s comments. The previous day before the show aired, Kawhi attended NBA’s media day. When asked to describe himself and his qualities, Kawhi considered himself a ‘fun guy’ before breaking into his iconic laughter.
Perhaps, Kawhi did not realize that his answers would come off as funny unintentionally. The funniest part about Kawhi’s response was his laughter, which sent Kevin Hart into a frenzied state. When Hart was asked for his reaction if he heard such a laugh among his audience, the comedian replied:
“I’mma punch him in the face, I’mma punch him.”
However, there are substantive claims supporting Kawhi’s ‘fun guy’ persona. Leonard’s Clippers teammate Terance Mann recently revealed in Paul George’s podcast about Kawhi’s persona. Perhaps, one needs to be with Kawhi during certain moments to experience his fun and amusing side. We can surely take his teammates’ words to believe Kawhi is actually a fun person.
