Kawhi Leonard sported a braided look for almost his entire NBA career but he has now decided to change things up. Leonard recently attended the WBA lightweight title fight between Gervonta Davis and Frank Martin in Las Vegas, where he showed off his new look.
Kawhi cut his braids off 😭 pic.twitter.com/HGiyRKMjr3
— 30🅿️roblemz (@30problemz) June 17, 2024
Not only is it surprising that Leonard has cut off his braids, but he is smiling for that picture too, which isn’t something you see all too often. With that image going viral, NBA fans hilariously reacted to it.
One said Leonard is getting ready for retirement.
Bros getting ready for retirement 😭😭
— . (@0_2active) June 17, 2024
A fan stated that Leonard is done with basketball.
Kawhi looking like he’s done with basketball 😭
— JBond (@jbondwagon) June 17, 2024
One said Leonard got a new software update.
Homie got a new software update.
— Brodie4L (@_Brodie4L) June 17, 2024
A fan joked about Leonard losing his aura with this new look.
No more aura 😭
— ObamaNotCare (@obamanotcare) June 17, 2024
One stated Leonard is now in his “unc” era.
Officially in his unc era
— Javon 🌌 (@jtbucketsss) June 17, 2024
Well, Kawhi is 32 years old and will turn 33 later this month, so he is getting up there in age. It remains to be seen if this is just an offseason look for the six-time All-Star or if he plans to keep it this way moving forward. He did sport an afro a few years back but that was clearly just an offseason look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jci1Eq5C4VA
It is interesting to note, that there was also another instance where it appeared as if Leonard had changed his hairstyle. Back in 2017, a picture of him without his signature braids went viral in the offseason, but it was soon revealed to be fake.
Just received a call from people close to Kawhi…told me this photo is fake. So there's that. His braids are still intact. #Spurs #NBA pic.twitter.com/m3ARHr5TVK
— Jabari Young (@JabariJYoung) June 21, 2017
Well, this latest picture certainly is real. As for why Leonard might have taken this step, there is a good chance we’ll only find that out when he’s speaking to the media before the start of next season.
Leonard is a very private individual, as we all know, and doesn’t usually appear at public events. He was at this fight as he is a big boxing fan and witnessed Davis knock out Martin in the eighth round to retain his title.
The 2023-24 Season Ended In Disappointment For Kawhi Leonard
The 2023-24 season promised much for Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers but ended in disappointment. With Kawhi leading the way, the Clippers went 26-5 over a 31-game stretch from December to February and looked like the best team in the NBA.
Amid that excellent run, Leonard signed a three-year, $153 million extension with the Clippers. Everything was going great, but unfortunately, the good times weren’t to last.
Leonard was healthy for much of the season but then went down with a knee injury in April. The timing couldn’t have been any worse. He missed the last eight games of the regular season and then the first game of the first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks.
Leonard, who had averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game in the season, returned for Game 2 but it was clear that he was nowhere near his best. He played in Game 3 as well, but that was it.
Leonard missed the rest of the series and the Clippers lost in six games. You do wonder at this point, whether he will ever be healthy in the playoffs. The last time he was injury-free in the postseason was 2020 and as he gets older, the chances of that injury bug staying away get slimmer and slimmer.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
