“Not sponsored by Gatorade”. It was around 5 years ago when a small gesture by Kawhi Leonard went viral. Simply removing a Gatorade bottle from the table during a post-game interview highlighted that he did not care that the brand was the official sponsor of the NBA. After all, they weren’t personally sponsoring him. Sure, by committing the act, Leonard gave more exposure to Gatorade than it otherwise would have with just one of its bottles lying on the table. But the idea wasn’t short-sighted. Referring to the situation, Joker once said, “It’s not about money. It’s about sending a message”. Earlier, it might have been about money. However, Leonard’s recent put-down of Gatorade certainly was about sending a message, in the form of a plea.

The 33-year-old LA Clippers star participated in a presser after his team’s 2nd consecutive win against the Denver Nuggets in the ongoing Playoff series. Viewers would have experienced a feeling of Déjà vu, as the Gatorade bottles were once again put away from the top of the table. Only this time, Leonard asked others to remove the bottles for him by saying, “Take those gatorades down… kids don’t need to be drinking that”. The media members could not help but let out a laugh. However, Leonard had nothing but a serious expression on his face.

As the presser continued, Leonard was even asked if he indulged in healthy alternatives to Gatorade. With the same stern expression, he replied, “I’m not mentioning that right now. You can talk to me after”.

Gatorade, or any other sports drinks for that matter, are reportedly not advisable to be consumed by children. As highlighted by a clinical report featured on the official page of the American Academy of Pediatrics, “that caffeine and other stimulant substances contained in energy drinks have no place in the diet of children and adolescents.” In fact, Gatorade is reportedly not even recommended for the average person. That is, unless they are engaging in strenuous, long-duration exercises or sweating heavily. While children who are very physically active for more than one hour can consume sports drinks, the NBA target audience is not made up of just solely of them.

Leonard intended to highlight his disdain simply. After all, Gatorade did not become the most valuable sports drink brand of 2025, with an estimated market value of $11.2 billion, by simply selling its products to sports enthusiasts. The vast majority of people who drink Gatorade aren’t athletes, as reported by a 2018 article by Healthline. Furthermore, according to a Berkeley study published in 2014, most people who drink sports drinks at least once a day aren’t as physically active as they should be.

Take into consideration the fact that a 20-ounce serving of Gatorade’s Thirst Quencher contains 36 grams of sugar. You won’t believe that’s less sugar per ounce than what you would find in your average soda, for sure. Even then, it’s not exactly healthy. Berkeley researchers have also pointed out that the sugar in sports drinks may be contributing to the child obesity epidemic by increasing caloric intake. Quite ironic, if you think about it. So, net loss or profit for kids? You have to answer, but Leonard is pretty straight.

Drawing attention to this issue after the recent game, out of all other days, could be considered a smart move from Kawhi Leonard. After all, before he attempted to put the billion-dollar brand in jeopardy, the player had a milestone night.

Kawhi Leonard surpasses Klay Thompson and James Worthy’s records in a major win

Game 3 of the Denver Nuggets-LA Clippers playoffs saw the series shift to the Intuit Dome. With home-court advantage on their side, the Clippers looked to add to the momentum generated from a thrilling yet close first two games. But this time it was complete dominance. The Clippers take the lead after thrashing the Nuggets 117-83. Kawhi Leonard had a slow start to the game, as he missed quite a few open looks in the 1st quarter. Soon, however, he was able to establish a groove and score an impressive 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists. On the shooting front, he made 7-17 (41.2%) field goals, 3-6 (50.0%) 3-pointers, and 4-5 (80.0%) free throws.

This performance helped the player cross an important milestone. Kawhi Leonard now stands as the 27th all-time playoff scorer. He has passed Klay Thompson and James Worthy in the feat. On top of that, Leonard also moved ahead of Rasheed Wallace and Nate Thurmond in rebounds for No. 41 in NBA history.

Kawhi Leonard’s performance was earning him praise from all sides. Shaquille O’Neal, in his analysis of the matchup, sent his flowers to the player. He said, “They have to somehow find a way to slow down that cyborg. He’s killing them. His last game was damn near perfection.” Leonard had to grab the attention of people at a time when the focus was already the most on him. He took full advantage of the situation, and his name has once again been linked with Gatorade. In the end, it is the small gestures that matter.