Source: nba.com
Kawhi Leonard is a man of few words on the court. The two-time NBA All-Star with the San Antonio Spurs prefers to let his play do the talking.
During a recent weeklong trip to China, Leonard’s interaction with Chinese youth and his appreciation for the country’s culture and love of basketball spoke volumes.
The 26-year-old covered a lot of ground in his first trip to China -- which took place from Aug. 17-24 -- and was struck by how many Spurs fans he encountered at events in Beijing and Shanghai.
“Seeing all these Spurs fans surprised me,” said Leonard, who went through etiquette training prior to his trip to become more versed in Chinese culture. “I wasn’t sure if there would be any fans watching Texas basketball because they say our market is so small. With social media, I guess every market is a big market, but I didn’t think I’d see so many fans of mine and the Spurs.”
San Antonio’s popularity in China can be traced to an appreciation for Tim Duncan and his fundamental approach to playing the game. Leonard won an NBA title alongside the Spurs’ legend in 2014 and shares many similar traits with Duncan, who retired after the 2015-16 season.
Leonard’s trip featured a visit to The NBA Academy Zhejiang in Zhuji, an elite basketball training center for the top male and female prospects from China. As the first NBA player to visit an NBA Academy in China, the two-time Kia Defensive Player of the Year worked with players on the court and shared some words of wisdom.
“I didn’t know it was going to be so unique,” Leonard said. “I thought it was just going to be a wall, but it’s a lot of stairs and pathways, a bunch of stories that these walls tell. This is a memory I will take in and always remember. [This] won’t be my last time here. I’ll probably come back next summer.”
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