Kawhi Leonard Hosts LA Youth for Mindfulness Education on...

By Alex Kirschenbaum

Contributing Sports Writer

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Last month, six-time All-Star LA Clippers swingman Kawhi Leonard took a bold step to help Los Angeles-area young people. The decorated superstar recently showed the youth of south Los Angeles how mindfulness practices have helped shape his life on and off the court.

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On Oct. 20, the 6-foot-7 small forward teamed up with classroom retrofit initiative OUR OWN Wellness Spaces for a one-off special event on his home turf. 35 high schoolers from Ánimo City of Champions Charter High and Inglewood High School recently visited Leonard at the Clippers' home arena, Intuit Dome, to join the two-time Finals MVP for a guided wellness event earlier this season.

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Leonard himself was on hand — and partaking — while an OUR OWN Wellness practitioner helped the students work through a series of events, including a sound bath, mindfulness meditation and gentle yoga while on the hardwood at Intuit Dome.

The six-time All-NBA standout also spoke with the students at length about his own wellness journey. Leonard affirmed that he makes sure to integrate mindfulness into his own day-to-day life.

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"Just bringing kids out from different schools in Los Angeles, just trying to get them away from their phones, doing some yoga, just giving them some health tips on what stuff to eat, what stuff not to eat," the two-time Defensive Player of the Year said of the goal for the day. "Hopefully they enjoyed it and got a little reset for their bodies."

Leonard also took his message abroad during the offseason.

Per Okla Jones of Essence, Leonard logged time in Kigali, Rwanda over the summer. He was the headliner for the 2025 Giants of Africa Festival — an epic celebration that highlights culture, service and sports. As part of the "Built Within" initiative to create 100 new courts in Africa, Leonard designed a fresh outdoor court at Kigali's St. Ignatius School, intended to commemorate his personal basketball quest that started in Moreno Valley — replete with empowering messages dotting the blacktop.

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He also oversaw a free hoops clinic on the new court, for 50 kids aged 12-17, on the last day of his trip. Beyond Leonard's invaluable tutelage, all 50 boys and girls were gifted a fresh pair of signature Leonard New Balances. Rwandan president Paul Kagame also sat with Leonard for an extended private chat about the import of education and sports for young people in the country and on the continent.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg for Leonard's four-day tenure in Kigali. He was also on the ground taking in youth tournaments and talking shop with young athletes-to-be.

Leonard has remained as effective as ever for LA this year. So far this season, the two-time champion has been averaging 24.3 points on .505/.400/.963 shooting splits, 5.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 0.7 blocks a night.

A surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer and one of the all-time great perimeter stoppers in league history, Leonard was deservedly named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, celebrating the league's 75 best players ever, in 2022.

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