Maybe you heard about Kawhi Leonard hand size, or you didn’t. But did you know that Kawhi has a hand size that’s slightly different from other NBA players?
The Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard has had a fascinating start to the NBA playoffs. He’s been dominant in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals but has also been dogged by a strange meme that has taken over Twitter.
For some reason, many people have become obsessed with the size of Leonard’s hands.
We all know that Kawhi is one of the greatest defenders in NBA history, and his hands are a big part of that, no pun intended. His hands are so large that they are among the largest in league history.
There is a lot of fun in looking at Kawhi Leonard’s hands. More than just the hands (which are very nice), the size of the digits is one thing that many people like to look at when they watch Kawhi play. Instead of focusing on all of the Nuggets you can find there, I see how big they are.
How big is Kawhi Leonard Hand Size?
Kawhi Leonard’s hands are 9.75 inches long and 11.25 inches wide. This measurement counts from the base of his middle finger to the palm to the tip. According to The Hand and Upper Extremity Center at the University of Virginia, this is slightly smaller than the average man’s hand, which measures 7.4 inches long and 3.4 inches wide for medium frame size.
The size of an NBA player’s hands is an important factor because it can affect his ability to grip and handle a basketball. For example, Magic Johnson had a wingspan of 7 feet, 9 1/2 inches, while standing 6-foot-9, so he could easily palm the ball with one hand.
Even though his hands were only 8 1/2 inches long. Also, Kevin Durant has a wingspan of 7 feet, 5 inches while standing 6-foot-9, and he reportedly has hands that are 9 1/2 inches long – which is just an inch bigger than Kawhi Leonard’s hands.
Kawhi Leonard’s hands are massive.
According to a study, the Clippers forward has the largest hands in the NBA. His paws are 9.75 inches long with an 11.25-inch span, larger than the second-place holder (Philadelphia 76ers center Boban Marjanovic).
It’s not surprising that Kawhi has massive hands considering he was able to palm the ball while taking flight during Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Nuggets last season.
Who is Kawhi Leonard?
You’re probably familiar with Kawhi Leonard, the NBA star currently leading the Toronto Raptors in their championship bid, if you’re a sports fan.
Kawhi Anthony Leonard was born June 29, 1991, in Riverside, California. He grew up there with his mother and father. His mother was a college basketball player who helped support the family by working at the Air Force Base. His father was a member of the Air Force Reserve who worked as a park maintenance worker.
Leonard played basketball at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, where he became an All-League player during his junior year. He transferred to Moreno Valley High School for his senior year and led his team to a 30-3 record and their first appearance in the CIF Southern Section playoffs in six years. He won multiple awards for his shooting ability and defensive skills.
Also, he was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in 2011 and traded to the Spurs on draft day. He won the 2014 NBA Finals MVP award after helping lead the Spurs to their fifth NBA title.
Who has the biggest hands in NBA history?
Connie Hawkins
When we think of big hands, the first person that comes to mind is probably Connie Hawkins. The Diesel was a monster in the paint, and his hands were enormous. Hawkins’s hands measure 10.5 inches long and 11 inches wide.
Hawkins’ hands are still unique among current NBA players, but several players in the league today have big hands. For example, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s wingspan is 7 feet 3 inches, larger than anyone currently playing in the NBA.
Players with the biggest hands in NBA history
If you are a fan of the NBA, you should know that the league has some of the most interesting players.
Plenty of fans watches for the incredible athleticism and talent on display. However, there is also a group of fans who watch because they don’t want to miss a chance to see oversized hands do crazy things.
There are plenty of players with oversized hands in the NBA today. The names you’ll find below might surprise you.
Boban Marjanovic
The 7’3″, 290-pound Serbian has a wingspan of 7’8″ and hands measuring 10.75 inches from pinky to thumb, wider than a standard ruler. His massive paws make it look easy when he snatches rebounds and stuff shot attempts at the rim.
Shaquille O’Neal
When the man known as Shaquille O’Neal was playing in the NBA, he had nearly every advantage over his opponents imaginable. It included a massive advantage and some pretty big hands to go with it. He has a size of 10.25 inches in length and 12 inches wide hands. That’s pretty impressive, but it puts him only in second place on this list.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Despite being just 6’11”, Antetokounmpo is one of the best rebounders in basketball, thanks to his super-sized wingspan (9.85″) and hands (12″). During his All-Star MVP performance in 2019, he even managed to snag a rebound over Joel.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
The man known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who played from 1969 to 1989, is one of the most famous basketball players ever. He is also one of those who have some surprisingly large mitts on his hands at 11 inches long and 10 inches wide.
Does hand size matter in the NBA?
Hands are a big deal in the NBA. A player has to be able to dribble, pass and shoot. The bigger his hands, the more he can palm the ball and protect it from defenders. He’s less likely to fumble the pass or lose control of the ball on a drive to the basket. And if he has a massive wingspan and long fingers, that helps him grab rebounds and contest shots on defense.
However, there is some correlation between hand size and performance in the NBA. Players with larger hands tend to score more points in their careers than players with smaller hands.
One theory is that larger hands give you an advantage because it’s easier to grab rebounds. And hold on to the ball when playing defense. It could explain why centers often have larger hands than guards and forwards.
Kawhi Leonard’s hands vs. Shaq
When Kawhi Leonard and Shaquille O’Neal shook hands after the San Antonio Spurs beat the Phoenix Suns in a preseason game last week, everyone noticed the size difference.
Shaq’s hands are more massive than Kawhi’s hands.
Shaquille O’Neal
Shaq’s right hand is 10.25 inches long and 12 inches wide at its widest point. It is officially larger than an NBA basketball, but he doesn’t have two of those — at least not yet. So, there’s still some debate on whose hands are bigger.
Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi’s hand is 9.75 inches long and 11.25 inches wide. His hands are slightly bigger than a typical NBA basketball, at 29.5 inches.
FAQs on Kawhi Leonard Hand Size
What is the hand size of Kawhi Leonard?
Kawhi Leonard has yet to make his NBA Finals debut. Recently took to Twitter to claim he’s 6-foot-7, and his hands measure 9.75 inches. Leonard is listed at 6-foot-6 and weighs 195 pounds in college. He also claims he was born in a lab in France. That didn’t solve the riddle until last year when a woman came forward and revealed that she was the child of the doctor who “conceived” the Spurs star.
Who has bigger hands, Kawhi or Jordan?
Michael Jordan has bigger hands than Kawhi. Kawhi’s hands measure 9.75 inches, while Jordan’s come in at 10.13 inches. It’s a fairly definitive victory for Jordan.
But that doesn’t mean that Kawhi’s hands aren’t huge too. But the actual size of his hand is fairly proportional to his height.
Who has bigger hands, Kawhi or Giannis?
Giannis has bigger hands than Kawhi.
Kawhi: 9.75/11.25 inches, and Giannis: 9.85/12 inches
Giannis’ hands are bigger, but they’re probably stronger too. He got a better grip on the ball than Kawhi in the final seconds of game 5. And he was able to palm the ball the entire time.
Conclusion on kawhi leonard hands size
Kawhi Leonard’s hand size is not a myth. He’s got some of the biggest hands in the NBA. And he uses them to his advantage on both ends of the court.
Kawhi’s large hands enable him to be one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. His 7-foot wingspan and 10-inch hands allow him to poke at the ball when defending players with several inches on him.