The Los Angeles Clippers had an update to share with their fans regarding the health of All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an encouraging one.
Leonard will not compete alongside his teammates in drills when training camp begins next week. That’s because the two-time NBA champion is not at full strength. After months of speculation, it has been reported that he underwent a procedure on his knee this offseason. Although inflammation has gone down, he’s not ready for action just yet.
To make matters worse, Clippers president Lawrence Frank was unwilling to provide a concrete timeline for Leonard’s return to action.
“I think that the timing’s all going to basically depend on how his knee responds to each phase,” Frank said. “No one has a crystal ball.”
Frank also admit that it’s been a “tricky” situation for the Clippers to navigate through.
“This was a real tricky thing in terms of the inflammation. We’re kind of searching for answers along the way, and with time we continue to learn more about what works, what hasn’t. It’s truly unfortunate that he’s had to deal with this, but I think we’re definitely trending in the right direction.”
As you’d expect, NBA fans are very concerned about Leonard’s future.
“People tried to say ‘he wasn’t hurt’ when he got pulled out of the Olympics,” one fan said.
“Looks like the end is near for Kawhis Career…. You hate to see him go out like this,” a second fan wrote.
Another fan tweeted, “Injuries ruined this dudes career. He’s never gonna be healthy ever again unfortunately.”
Leonard actually played in 68 games this past season, which is pretty good given his recent injury history. However, it seems unlikely he’ll eclipse that mark this upcoming season.
All we can do right now is wish Leonard a speedy recovery.
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