People can achieve in the NBA for a variety of reasons. In addition to talent and hard attitude, raw athleticism plays a significant role in success. Not simply a player’s speed or strength, but also how they are made, is important. That explains why so many famous people have big hands.
I have been a fan of basketball for more than 25 years, both as a fan and as a player. I’ve spent years covering the game, so I know a lot about it. Such knowledge allowed me to organize the information that is divided up throughout the rest of the book.
I’ll examine Kawhi Leonard’s hands down below. That will not only serve to explain one of the many reasons for his talent, but it will also provide insight into other players to show how much certain physical characteristics contribute in the NBA.
Learn more by continuing to read!
How Big Are Kawhi’s Hands?
We need to answer the main query in this topic, which is: How big are Kawhi’s hands? before moving on to a discussion of hand size. The answer is a huge yes. The superstar’s enormous paws are a stunning 11.25 inches broad and 9.75 inches long (from base to finger tip).
Most NBA players at his position have hands that are 8.8 to 9 inches long, so that should give you an idea of how enormous that is (with some extremely special cases measuring 9.5). Lebron’s and Kobe’s hands are both only 9 inches long.
Kawhi’s hand length of 9.75 puts him in a class of his own when it comes to gripping the basketball as he steps up for a layup or dunk. Additionally, it makes rebounding and stealing a little bit simpler.
Where Does Kawhi Fit Into the League?
It is one thing to be aware of Kawhi’s very huge hands; it is quite another to compare them to the NBA as a whole. The shooting guard is 6 7 inches tall. The average hand size for players that tall in the rest of the league is 8.7 inches long and 9.5 inches wide.
Comparing that to Leonard demonstrates how much larger his hands are than those of any other opponent he faces. When comparing the gap to the average point guard hand size (8.4 by 8.9 inches), the difference is even more striking.
Even centers’ typical hands, which measure 9.7 by 10.3 inches, are comparable to Kawhi’s. That’s really absurd and demonstrates how unique he is in comparison to other NBA players.
He actually possesses the ninth largest hands in NBA history. Only Julius Erving (9.5″, 11.75″) and Michael Jordan (9.75″, 11.375″) are above him on the list of outside guards or wings. Just by that places him in an exclusive group.
How Important Is Hand Size?
Kawhi is without a doubt a unique player. How much of his resume, though, is directly related to hand size? The answer to that intriguing query requires a little more background information.
Without his big hands, Kawhi obviously would not be the same player. They provide him better control when passing as well as making it simpler to palm the basketball (and dunk). He also has an unmatched ability to steal and block on defense thanks to his huge hands.
However, bigger mitts might not be as advantageous as many might initially think. Although they are beneficial on the court, grip power is more crucial.
The fingertips are more often used for shooting and ball control than the palm. As a result, hand strength is more important than anything else for being able to correctly grip the ball whether traveling through the lane or trying for a pass.
The defensive end of the court is the only area where larger hands are useful. Excellent stealers (like Kawhi) have a better chance of sticking their hand into the lane and knocking the shot away while great blockers (like Kawhi) need more surface area to deflect shots away from the basket.
In actuality, John Stockton, who holds the record for most thefts, possessed especially big hands. He was just six and a half feet tall, but his hands were nine inches long. Because of that, he was able to rob several people during his time in the league.
Kawhi Leonard hands – FAQs
These related queries may be of interest to you. I’ll respond to them succinctly below.
Who in the NBA Has the Biggest Hands?
Boban Marjanovic possesses the biggest hands in the NBA and is a towering 7’4″ tall. In actuality, his hands are the biggest ever measured in NBA history, measuring 10.75″ by 12″ in size.
How Big are Lebron’s Hands?
Although enormous, Lebron James’ hands are not too large. The NBA legend’s hands are 9 by 9.25 inches in size.
Who in the NBA of today has the smallest hands?
Nobody has smaller hands than T.J. McConnell in relation to his height. The hands of the Pacers guard measure 7.5″ by 7″. That is much below the norm for athletes his height (6’1″)
Conclusion
Basketball players’ hand sizes obviously important. It might not matter as much as you might think, though. There are numerous great players (like Stephen Curry) who have ordinary or tiny hands, despite the fact that many superstars have larger hands for their size.
Having saying that, Kawhi’s hands have contributed to him developing into the player he is now. He is a powerhouse on defense as well as one of the league’s top dunkers. The fact that he could palm the ball may not have been the only factor in his success, but it undoubtedly contributed to it.
