The Truth About Kawhi Leonard's Girlfriend
Los Angeles Clippers basketball star Kawhi Leonard was selected for his fifth NBA All-Star game on March 7, 2021 in Atlanta. On the Western Conference starting squad, he'll play alongside talented players like the LA Lakers' LeBron James, the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, and the Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic. According to NBC Sports, the NBA All-Star game is a time for the league to showcase its best talent to the world — and make money at the same time.
Leonard, LeBron, and many other players have been outspoken about the NBA's decision to go forward with an All-Star game — an exhibition contest that doesn't count toward the regular season — amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "It's money on the line," Leonard told NBC Sports. "It's an opportunity to make more money. Just putting money over health right now, pretty much."
While Leonard has been outspoken about the All-Star game, he has stayed private when it comes to talking about his family, but some info about Leonard's girlfriend and their child have been revealed.
Kawhi Leonard and his girlfriend were college sweethearts
According to Express, Los Angeles Clippers basketball star Kawhi Leonard met his longtime girlfriend Kishele Shipley while they both attended San Diego State University. She received a degree in Public Administration from the college as Leonard played for the SDSU Aztecs and led them to the NCAA tournament in 2011, according to the university. Express also reported that the couple has a young daughter, Kaliyah, who was born in 2016.
"It's just a great feeling, once you have a child," Leonard told ESPN about his daughter's birth in 2016. In that same article, though, it referred to Shipley as Leonard's fiancee, sparking marriage rumors for the couple. It's unknown if the couple has married since. Either way, in another ESPN interview in 2019, Leonard said that he enjoyed spending time with his family off the court, "fishing, going golfing, or just hang[ing] out with my daughter."
Shipley attended Leonard's games in the past, according to Express. Even though no spectators will be at this year's NBA All-Star game, as reported by The New York Times, Shipley will likely be rooting for Leonard no matter where she watches from.