Kawhi Leonard is one of the most popular basketball players in the world. But while his prowess on the court is very well known, zero information is available about the Los Angeles Clippers superstar’s life off the court. It is all part of a brand of secrecy and limited human interaction that has spurred memes like these. However, with him having spent almost a decade in the spotlight, a few facts have slipped out about Kawhi Leonard’s personal life, such as the fact that he is in a relationship with a woman identified as Kishele Shipley.
As one might expect, the details are not exhaustive, but we have enough to draw a picture of his relationship with the woman he met while attending San Diego State University.
Kawhi Leonard and Kishele Shipley Began Dating in College
A lot of sports stars go on to date models, actresses, and celebrities when they make it big. It is almost what is expected of them based on the fame and wealth that comes with their superstar status. But that is not Kawhi Leonard.
According to the Express who secured a few of the little details we have about the basketball player’s personal life, Kawhi Leonard met his partner Kishele Shipley at San Diego University. At the time, Kawhi was a star for the school’s basketball team, leading them to the Mountain West Conference title. Specific details about how they met remains a mystery. We, however, do know that they have been together ever since, making them one of the oldest couples in the NBA.
Kawhi and His Partner Have Started a Family
Kawhi Leonard and Kishele Shipley welcomed a daughter named Kaliyah to the world in 2016. During the athlete’s time with the Toronto Raptors when he led the Canadian team to an NBA title, he spoke about his love of spending time with his daughter. So far, that is the most information he has shared about his child.
In April 2019, rumors went across social media that the couple had given birth to another child. The child, a baby boy, was said to have been born in Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. The location of the rumored birth drew joy from fans of the Raptors who, out of their love for Kawhi, were excited that his son would be a Canadian citizen.
However, neither of those reports have been confirmed by the player but the story appears to have been true as the player missed out on a game for the team for unknown reasons around that time. The birth of a son is not the only rumor to surround the couple’s life.
Kawhi and Kishele have also been rumored to be married after rare photos of the couple showed Kishele Shipley looking comfortable around the player’s extended family.
Kishele Shipley Used to Have a Regular Job
We know even less about Kishele Shipley than we do about her partner. While Kawhi has a public professional career, his girlfriend has nothing of the sort.
Kishele, who was born on April 10, 1989, to Cathy Marie Shipley and Kenneth Shipley, is a graduate of Public Administration from San Diego State University. After her graduation, she worked briefly as a Human Resource professional in San Diego before her boyfriend was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs, forcing the young couple to relocate to Texas.
Since Kawhi Leonard hit the big time, it is presumed that Kishele Shipley stopped working, partly because it was no longer financially necessary and to also protect the couple’s privacy. The mother of two further does not have any social media footprint. While she has appeared in a couple of pictures posted by her siblings; Kenisha and Kasandra, she does not have a social media page of our own. That does not mean she does not go out as she has been seen a few times cheering her husband in the stands during his games.
Kawhi Leonard’s Life Before Kishele Shipley
Kawhi Leonard was born on June 29, 1991, as the youngest of five children to Mark Leonard and Kim Robertson. He has four older sisters. Like almost every professional basketball player, Kawhi began his basketball life from high school. He played for Canyon Springs High School in Moreno Valley, California, where he spent a couple of years before moving to Martin Luther King High School.
Although there is no record of him winning any team trophies at the high school level, he recorded the personal achievement of being named California Mr. Basketball at the end of his time in high school. Going into college, Kawhi Leonard was rated a four-star player by scouting organizations and was considered the 48th best recruit in the country.
When college offers came, the young man chose to attend San Diego State University where he played for two years before he declared for the NBA Draft in 2011. During his college career, he won two conference tournaments among other personal accolades.
Highlights of His Career with Kishele By His Side
Life with Kishele Shipley has been good for Kawhi Leonard, both off and on the court. On the court, he has won the NBA Championship twice, winning NBA Finals MVP each time. He has also been named an NBA All-Star four times, won All-Star Game MVP once, garnered two All-NBA First Team selections, and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award twice.
Kawhi joined the NBA through the 2011 draft where he was selected by the Indiana Pacers who immediately traded him to the San Antonio Spurs. The small forward would go on to play for the Texas-based team for seven seasons before moving to Canada to play for the Toronto Raptors for a year in 2018. The following year, Leonard opted to return to his hometown as he signed a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.