The Los Angeles Clippers fans were excited to see Kawhi Leonard last season but their excitement soon turned into disappointment when Leonard injured himself. He partially tore his ACL in his right knee during the 2021-22 playoffs. This injury forbade him from participating in the entire 2022-23 season and Leonard had to sit out.
Kawhi has been in rehab for the past year and now it finally looks like he will be making a return in the upcoming 2023-24 season. Kawhi recently owned up to his mistake in the last season and issued a statement on that matter. The fans are also excited to expect him back as the Clippers could really use his talent right now.
Kawhi Leonard owns mistakes he made last season
Kawhi Leonard was out for the entirety of the 2022-23 season and the Clippers did not have a good season as they were not able to make the playoffs. Klaw issued a statement on his absence and took full accountability for the matter.
He reportedly said, “I think everybody was little excited just by me coming back. We skipped steps, I would say, that is on all of us in here. The front office, me included, and the coaching staff!”
Kawhi Leonard expressed his hope that everything goes smoothly as he begins his journey back to playing. He stressed the importance of the team working on their defense and developing better chemistry together.
Leonard is renowned as one of the NBA’s premier two-way players, having earned two Defensive Player of the Year awards during his career. His return will be immensely valuable to the Clippers, as they will regain their defensive cornerstone, allowing him to lead and solidify their defensive efforts.
Kawhi Leonard’s injury record
Kawhi Leonard is one of the best players in the NBA but he has had a bad injury problem. The small forward is injury-prone and has a record of getting injured and missing out on crucial games. In the 2017 NBA playoffs, Leonard sprained his left ankle against the Warriors in the Western Conference finals. In the 2019-20 season, he had a quadriceps tendinopathy that cost him 27 games that season.
The injury he sustained in the 2021 NBA playoffs was the worst as he partially tore his ACL against the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference semi-finals, that injury cost him the entirety of the season. Despite all these injuries, Kawhi Leonard has come back stronger every time but his being this injury-prone causes concerns and doubts about whether he will be able to stay healthy for the entire season when he comes back.
What do you think of Kawhi Leonard’s statement? Do you think he will be able to complete the entire season injury-free this time? We are eager to know your thoughts, so drop them in the comments section and let us know.
