Kawhi Leonard: Clippers Weren’t Worried About Me Playing for Team USA Despite Injury

Andrew PetersJuly 8, 2024

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Though he missed the end of the season and part of the Los Angeles Clippers’ first-round playoff matchup with an injury, Kawhi Leonard said his team wasn’t concerned about him competing for Team USA in the Olympics.

“Not really,” Leonard said, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “They were positive about the situation. So, yeah, they wasn’t too worried about it.”

Leonard played 68 games during the 2023-24 season before suffering a knee injury in injury in April.

Leonard has dealt with injuries throughout his career, especially over the course of the last few seasons. He suffered injuries in each of the last three seasons that kept him out for most of the playoffs and missed the entirety of the 2021-22 season after a torn ACL.

When he was on the court his season, Leonard was productive, averaging 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Leonard was candid about his injuries though, calling them “just my journey,” per Bontemps. Now, he’ll look to put the injury behind him and focus on helping Team USA win gold.

Leonard will be competing in the Olympics for the first time this year after being named a finalist for Team USA in each of the last two Olympics. He will join a star-studded roster that features LeBron James, Steph Curry and others in Paris later this month.

The team will begin their Olympic journey on July 28 against Nikola Jokić and the Serbian national team.