Kawhi Leonard stars in his first Foot Locker commercial and it’s hilarious

Drop everything and take 60 seconds to have your world flipped upside down, because everything we thought we knew about Kawhi Leonard is wrong. He’s not only able to carry national commercial, but he even shows off a bit of his acting chops.

Here’s what Kawhi had to say about the ad:

"I had a ton of fun partnering with Foot Locker and Jordan Brand to show off another side of my personality that most fans don't get to see every day," said Leonard. "Being part of a holiday campaign that pays homage to the original 'Be Like Mike' Gatorade ad is really special."

So the Spurs star might not actually be a black belt in karate after all, but if it was all in service of a cool commercial (and a national one that he actually speaks in) I’m alright with it.

One of the things I love about the ad is the realism. After all, that’s about as much as he would say in an interview like that, right?

The smile at the end I chalk up to creative license.

UPDATE: Commentor bigbigbobby points out that there’s a hysterical disclaimer at the end of the commercial.

It reads:

Kawhi Leonard does not now, nor has ever used social media of any kind. Any portrayal of Kawhi using social media is entirely fictional, including any use of hasthtags, emojis, @’s, etc. Any images bearing resemblance to Kawhi Leonard are purely coincidental.

I have to take my hat off to Foot Locker, who knows how to do smart, in-the-know ads that nod to the public persona of the athletes in their commercials. For anyone who’s forgotten, they did the same thing with Tim Duncan after he won his fifth ring.

The spot features the new Gatorade AJ1s, which launch in four bold colors -- Orange, Lemon Lime, Grape and Blue Cherry -- on Dec. 26. Foot Locker is the only retailer carrying all four colorways and will also release the Air Jordan VI Gatorade on Dec. 30. The Air Jordan VI Gatorade draws inspiration from Gatorade’s iconic bottle design and the brand’s 1991 “Be Like Mike” campaign.