Kawhi Leonard Embraces His Inner Cyborg In A ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ Ad With Arnold Schwarzenegger

Kawhi Leonard isn’t like other NBA superstars. In a league filled with larger-than-life personalities, Kawhi tends to shy away from the spotlight and simply let his game do the talking. But that figures to be major challenge considering the level of media attention that comes with playing in Los Angeles.

And it isn’t just that Kawhi is normally quiet or reserved. He’s taken plenty of grief for having a somewhat robotic personality, especially after his awkward laugh at media day last season became the year’s cringyest meme. The lesson, of course, is to just own it, and that’s what he’s trying to do in this fantastically-weird commercial.

With the latest installment of everyone’s favorite time-traveling killer cyborg, Terminator: Dark Fate, opening next weekend, Kawhi and teammate Paul George joined franchise stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton in a new ad that seeks to help Kawhi embrace the coolly machine-like aspects his personality.

Props to Kawhi for being game on this one. The demands of the L.A. media aren’t likely to let up anytime soon, so it’s smart to stay ahead of the game early and get more comfortable with the grind.

It’s arguable that Kawhi’s subdued demeanor hasn’t exactly been a boon in terms of marketability, but this new ads hints at how he might be able to turn that on its head.