Kawhi Leonard, Clippers Donate 1M Backpacks to Southern California Students

Reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard announced Tuesday he's worked in coordination with the Los Angeles Clippers and L.A. nonprofit organization Baby2Baby to donate one million backpacks to students in Southern California.

"My goal this year is to make a meaningful contribution both on and off the court. This felt like the right way to get started," Leonard said. "It was important to me to make this announcement in my hometown of Moreno Valley at my former elementary school, but the benefits this program will have across all of Los Angeles makes today even more special."

The NBA superstar's donation will cover all students from the Moreno Valley Unified, Inglewood Unified and Los Angeles Unified school districts.

Photo Credit: Los Angeles Clippers

Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker released a statement about the donation:

"There are a lot of families throughout the L.A. region working hard every day to earn everything in their lives. This program is our effort to extend a hand to make heading back to school a little easier. Our deepest appreciation goes out to Kawhi Leonard and Baby2Baby's incredible network of ambassadors who walk the walk when it comes to using their platforms and voices to provide real solutions to impact the everyday lives of the people around us."

The announcement came on the first day of the 2019-20 school year for the Los Angeles Unified school district, which features 80 percent of students who are eligible for free or reduced lunch because they come from low-income families, according to the release.

Leonard, a 28-year-old Los Angeles native, signed with the Clippers in July after winning the NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in June. He also won the 2014 title with the San Antonio Spurs.