kawhi leonard hands

Kawhi Leonard says he left Toronto because he couldn't find gloves to fit his huge hands

It's been more than a year since star basketball player Kawhi Leonard announced that he was leaving the Toronto Raptors to play for the Los Angeles Clippers after leading them to their first NBA championship, and there's no question that some die-hard fans are still not over the loss. 

But this week, the two-time defensive player of the year jokingly revealed one of the reasons why he left Toronto for a much warmer climate during an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live. 

During the virtual interview, Kimmel brought up Leonard's notoriously enormous hands, asking how much of his basketball success he actually attributes to their abnormal size.

Leonard then went on to explain that his hands have been an above-average size since he was born and that he probably gets it from his dad, though he said they sometimes present challenges and prevent him from doing certain activities. 

For instance, Leonard said he's not always able to fit his hands inside his own pockets. 

"Is that why you left Toronto, because your hands were cold?" asked Kimmel in response to this comment. 

"Man, I couldn't find gloves to fit me," quipped Leonard.

All jokes aside, though, Leonard told Kimmel he's happy with his decision to sign with the Clippers, and he said he's looking forward to playing the Lakers during the season opener next Tuesday.

Leonard and his teammates have also been awarded the honour of playing on Christmas day, and the two-time finals MVP award winner said playing the game he loves on Dec. 25 feels just like playing with his friends outside on Christmas as a kid.

"It's a great feeling. When you're outside as kid you're playing on Christmas Day with your friends and family, and you know, it's like any other day to me," he said. 

"Once I got selected to go into the NBA I knew there's no holidays in the NBA, so I just tell myself that so I don't get sad when I'm not able to see my family and friends on certain days. I just grind it out all season long and wait for the summertime, and that's when we can celebrate anything."

Lead photo by

Jimmy Kimmel Live


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