Yahoo Finance San Diego State to retire Kawhi Leonard’s jersey, the first in school history
San Diego State will officially retire Kawhi Leonard’s jersey next month, making him the first ever Aztecs player to earn that honor, according to the San Diego Union Tribune.
Leonard played for San Diego State for two seasons from 2009-11, and averaged 14.1 points and 10.2 rebounds during that time. He is just the third player in school history to average a career double-double.
While those stats aren’t eye-popping on their own, Leonard led the Aztecs to a dominant 34-3 record during the 2010-11 season and reached the Sweet 16. San Diego State — which started that season on a 20-game win streak — fell in the tournament to Connecticut, which eventually won the national title.
The Aztecs will hang his jersey in the rafters at Viejas Arena on Feb. 1 for their game against Utah State. Leonard is due to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves that afternoon at the Staples Center, but is expected to be at the retirement ceremony at halftime of the game down in San Diego.
“To be the first to have your jersey hung in the arena is an incredible honor, and well deserved by Kawhi,” said coach Brian Dutcher, who was an assistant when Leonard was at SDSU, via the Union Tribune. “I like the fact that it’s for what he did at San Diego State. We all know what he’s done in the NBA, but he came in here and led us to a 34-3 record with maybe the greatest team in Aztecs history.”
Leonard has averaged 26.3 points and 7.4 rebounds so far this season for the Clippers, his ninth in the league and first in Los Angeles. He left San Diego State after his sophomore season and was selected No. 15 overall in the 2011 draft.
No. 7 San Diego State has yet to drop a single game this season, and is just two games shy of tying the 20-game mark that Leonard helped set in 2011. The Aztecs are now the only remaining undefeated team in the country, too, after No. 4 Auburn fell to Alabama on Wednesday night.
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