In a surprising turn of events, Los Angeles Clippers star, Kawhi Leonard, has elected to withdraw from the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Down the stretch of the 2023-24 NBA season, Leonard missed the Clippers’ final eight games of the regular season and was only a participant in two of their six opening round playoff contests against the Dallas Mavericks due to right knee inflammation.
According to USA Basketball, “Kawhi has been ramping up for the Olympics over the last several weeks and had a few strong practices in Las Vegas. He felt ready to compete, However, he respects that USA Basketball and the Clippers determined it’s in his best interest to spend the remainder of the summer preparing for the upcoming season rather than participating in the Olympic Games in Paris.” Grant Hill, who is the managing director for USA Basketball, added that “I want to thank Kawhi for his commitment to the USA Men’s National Team. He earned the opportunity to represent the United States, but USA Basketball and Clippers leadership felt it’s important to allow Kawhi to prepare for the NBA season.”
Derrick White will fill in for the six-time All-Star after helping the Boston Celtics secure their 18th championship in franchise history. Despite solidifying himself as one of the most gifted players in the NBA, Leonard has struggled to stay on the floor the past few seasons. Sure, he’s led the Clippers to the playoffs four times in five years, but he hasn’t finished a postseason since 2019-20 (the bubble). While I’m sure he was looking forward to competing for a gold medal with his USA Basketball teammates, I believe that he would be better served getting his body prepared to hold up for more than two playoff games.
