Tyronn Lue on Kawhi Leonard dealing with injuries: There’s been nights he’s almost crying talking about how he let the team down

This week could be a critical one to get Leonard up to speed. A return to practice is the crucial first step for Leonard to lose the week-to-week designation. That’s also when Leonard would address the public next. Leonard playing in a game is not the end of the process; it would be the beginning. Leonard has a precedent of starting a season in December after missing the first several weeks. In 2017, Leonard’s first game came on Dec. 12 at Dallas while playing what would be his last season with the San Antonio Spurs. Leonard missed the first 27 games of that season because of right quadriceps tendinopathy. -via New York Times / December 9, 2024

Over the weekend, Kawhi Leonard went from his session with trainers that included rope jumping barefoot to putting socks and sneakers on and getting some shots up on the practice court. That came days after Leonard went through drills on the Intuit Dome primary playing floor, getting a feel for an arena that he has yet to play in. And of course, the team finally announced Leonard’s bobblehead night: Dec. 16 against the Utah Jazz, conveniently taking place after the Clippers have two days off following a crucial visit to play against the Denver Nuggets, which is a game that comes after four days of rest. -via New York Times / December 9, 2024

Law Murray: Amir Coffey on seeing Kawhi Leonard “I know everybody is excited for him to be back. We see him getting on the court, going through drills, it’s a good sign.” -via Bluesky / December 7, 2024

On Saturday, Lue inched closer to giving an update on when Clippers fans might see Leonard back on the court. It won’t be Sunday night, however, when the Clippers (14-10) face the Houston Rockets at the Intuit Dome. “(He’s) just doing all the things he’s supposed to. … He’s got to check all the boxes and do all the right things, not skip any steps,” Lue said. “So, when he completes that, then we’ll move on.” -via Orange County Register / December 8, 2024

Law Murray: Tyronn Lue is noncommittal of any Kawhi Leonard rerun date. More of the same from October and November. Week to week -via Twitter @LawMurrayTheNU / December 7, 2024

If Tyronn Lue is chosen as coach for USA Basketball’s next men’s national team, he may get to do something no coach has ever done: Host an Olympic basketball tournament at his office. Lue’s day job, you may know, is to coach the LA Clippers, where he is under contract through the 2028-29 season for about $70 million and has yet to have a losing season. The Clippers opened the $2 billion Intuit Dome this year, a stunning, state-of-the-art, crown jewel of a basketball arena in Inglewood, Calif., Steve Ballmer’s version of AT&T; Stadium (aka Jerry World) outside of Dallas. Intuit just happens to be the chosen arena for Olympic basketball when Los Angeles hosts the Summer Games in four years. “Yeah, it sounds amazing,” Lue said. “To be the Olympic head coach in this building, of course, everybody would look at that as a cool opportunity, but there’s a lot that goes into it. To be chosen to do that is an honor and a blessing, but it’s not something I’m hanging my hat on because it’s two years away and Erik Spoelstra was involved in USA Basketball before I even got here.” -via New York Times / December 5, 2024