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Clippers’ Leonard named All-Star starter, gets bobblehead honor

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Los Angeles, CA — Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard was selected as a Western Conference starter for the 69th NBA All-Star Game in Chicago on Sunday, February 16.

For Leonard, this marks his fourth appearance in the mid-season event (2016, 2017, 2019) and his fourth time as a starter. This caps off a banner couple of weeks for Leonard, as he was also named Western Conference Player of the Week on Monday.

Leonard, in his 9th season, is currently averaging career-highs in points (27.1, currently 8th in the league), rebounds (7.4) and assists (5.0). He is also currently tied for third in steals (2.0) and has already made his presence felt as one of the most impactful players in Clippers history.

In his first season as a Clipper, he has already become the third player in franchise history to score 30-plus points in five or more consecutive games (as of press, he is at six) and also became the first player to score 40-plus points in under 30 minutes (43 in 28 minutes against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 14).

LA Clippers media day
The press ask new Clipper, Kawhi Leonard, questions during media day. Photo by Kristen McCarthy/The Ball Out

The news also comes on the same day that the organization announced a special edition bobblehead for Leonard and his fellow teammate Paul George. At their February 5th home game against the Miami Heat, the first 10,000 fans will receive a Black Panther-inspired Kawhi Leonard bobblehead courtesy of City National Bank, the official bank of the Clippers.

Made in collaboration with Marvel, the bobblehead sits on a pedestal that features the Clippers logo, City National Bank logo and the Black Panther mask, and Kawhi in the Clippers’ black statement jersey with accents of the Black Panther’s suit weaved throughout the jersey’s design. Each fan who receives a bobblehead will receive a unique redemption code for a free digital Marvel comic.

On March 1st, the first 10,000 fans to enter the arena will receive an exclusive Paul George bobblehead, courtesy of Cedars-Sinai, the official health partner of the L.A. Clippers. Paul’s bobblehead sits on a pedestal that features the Clippers logo and Cedars-Sinai logo, and the “Young Trece” billboard that has been displayed across L.A. Paul is wearing the Clippers’ blue icon jersey and the black and white colorway of his recently released “PG4” Nike signature shoe, which was released on Friday.

Chris Bullock
Chris Bullock
Before joining The Ball Out, Chris Bullock was part of SB Nation's Swish Appeal for nearly three years, covering everything women's basketball. Chris has had the honor of doing live coverage of the WNBA Finals, the NCAA Tournament, and also was given his own column, "The Triple Double". A self-described "foodaholic", Chris lives in the San Diego area with his wife and two daughters, and also hosts his own podcast, "Conscious Cravings", where he speaks about his experience as a mental health advocate.

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