LA Clippers Head Coach Sheds Light on Kawhi Leonard's Injury Woes

NBA Champion and Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard has had a bit of a tough time ever since he won the Championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. The following season, Leonard moved to the LA Clippers and has struggled to find his form ever since. However, Leonard is not to be blamed, as the 33-year-old has been dealing with an endless barrage of injuries.

Clippers Head Coach Ty Lue sympathizes with his superstar and defended him when Stephen A. Smith called him a "Superstar player almost never available when it counts." Here’s what Ty Lue had to say in defense of Kawhi:

“For him, it's more frustrating. He wants to be on the floor. He wants to play every single night, and it's just bad timing," Lue said. "It's not like he said, 'Okay, (when) we get to the playoffs, I don't want to play.'"It's been some tough days, some tough nights, and I've talked to Kawhi nights where he's almost crying just talking about how he let the team down. But you can't do anything about injuries.”

When will Kawhi Leonard return to the LA Clippers lineup?

Fans have been speculating about Leonard’s return for a while now and talk suggests that he could return before Christmas. However, Ty Lue doesn’t see it that way and wants to ensure that Kawhi is at 100% before making his way back into the lineup.


Norman Powell and James Harden have picked up the slack in Leonard’s absence and are averaging 23.6 points and 21.6 points per game, respectively. However, the team will need Kawhi’s impact on both offense and defense when it is time for the playoffs. While there’s no definite return date set for Kawhi, there is optimism that he could return before the All-Star break next year.

Kawhi Leonard's Injury History

Kawhi’s injury troubles began back in 2017 during the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Leonard injured his ankle after awkwardly landing on Zaza Pachulia’s foot, thus beginning a long list of injuries. He returned the very next season and played a few games before being traded by the Spurs in July 2018.

Kawhi landed in Toronto and led the Raptors to their first championship while winning his second NBA Finals MVP. However, he left Toronto and came to the LA Clippers the very next year. After a successful season with the Clippers, Kawhi tore his ACL during the Western Conference Semifinals against the Utah Jazz in 2021.

He recovered and returned to play 52 games during the 2022-23 season. Unfortunately, Leonard tore his right meniscus during the playoffs that year. Kawhi returned to play 68 more games and has now picked up another injury that will keep him out indefinitely.

ALSO READ: Carmelo Anthony's Ex-Wife, La La Anthony and Winnie Harlow REACT to Teyana Taylor's Unforgettable Birthday

If Leonard never returns to form, he could end up being one of the biggest what-ifs the game has ever seen. Hopefully, he won’t end up being on the same list as superstars like Derrick Rose and Tracy McGrady.