Kawhi Leonard suffers another setback, out indefinitely to start 2024-2025 NBA season
Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard will be out indefinitely to start the brand new NBA season to continue rehabilitating his right knee, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
Clippers head coach Ty Lue confirmed the development to Charania on Thursday night. According to the report, both the Clippers and Leonard are in the midst of a rehab process for the two-time NBA Finals MVP that is aimed at bringing sustainability for him on the court through the season.
ANALYSIS: Leonard notably did not play in Team USA’s Olympic run in Paris due to the same knee issue and rehabilitation. Leonard already participated in Team USA’s practices in Las Vegas but was pulled out of the lineup days before they were slated to fly to Abu Dhabi for Team USA’s Basketball Showcase.
Now, the same injury and knee rehabilitation will force Leonard to be out for the foreseeable future in his mother club Clippers.
(Check out Kawhi's full injury history here over the years)
Kawhi Leonard will begin his 14th NBA season sidelined indefinitely as he continues rehabbing from right knee inflammation, according to @ShamsCharania.
— BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) October 18, 2024
This is the same injury that forced Leonard to miss most of the 2024 playoffs, limiting him to just two games in the… pic.twitter.com/ZwXOo8AgVM
The other LA ball club, which recently opened their new state-of-the-art arena Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, will ensure that Leonard will be in tip-top shape and ready to play at 100% as they enter a new era of Clippers basketball. Leonard’s long term partner of 5 years Paul George left in the offseason to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, leaving Leonard to fend off the entirety of the LAC franchise by himself.
The 33-year-old Leonard did not play in any of the Clippers’ preseason games this year nor did he participate in any activity involving on-court contact during training camp.
In Leonard’s absence, 34-year-old James Harden will try to carry the load for the Clippers alongside mainstays Ivica Zubac, Terrance Mann, and Norman Powell.
The Clippers open their NBA season on October 23 against the Phoenix Suns in what would be the first regular season game in their new home Intuit Dome.