American basketball star Kawhi Leonard is in Kigali, participating in various activities as part of the Giants of Africa Festival, which has been underway in the city for the past three days. The Los Angeles Clippers forward arrived in Rwanda on Thursday, July 31, and on Friday, Leonard visited 320 young campers from 20 African countries who are taking part in the Giants of Africa basketball tournament. ALSO READ: What you should know as Giants of Africa Festival returns to Kigali Dressed in red shorts and a white T-shirt, he toured BK Arena accompanied by Masai Ujiri, former Toronto Raptors president and founder of Giants of Africa, and Amadou Gallo Fall, president of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The Giants of Africa Festival, running from July 26 to August 2, has returned to Kigali with a schedule that brings together 320 young athletes from across the continent, along with over 20,000 spectators, for a week of basketball, education, culture, entertainment, and community engagement. Organised by the non-profit Giants of Africa, founded by Masai Ujiri, the festival aims to unite communities, ignite potential, and drive transformative change across Africa through the power of sport. ALSO READ: Kagame explains inspiration behind Kigali’s sports city While in Kigali, Leonard is scheduled to train young local basketball players at Club Rafiki, attend an all-star game featuring festival participants, and take part in the opening of a new basketball court in Kibagabaga. A two-time NBA champion, Leonard is a six-time All-Star and a six-time All-NBA Team member. Nicknamed “The Claw” for his ball-hawking skills and massive hands, he is widely considered one of the greatest two-way players in NBA history. He has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team seven times and earned Defensive Player of the Year honours in both 2015 and 2016.
