Clippers star Kawhi Leonard ‘sidelined indefinitely’ to begin NBA season
The NBA offseason has been rough for the Los Angeles Clippers, even though the franchise is starting fresh with Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, finally allowing the team to step out of the Los Angeles Lakers’ shadow in the City of Angels.
Despite all the excitement of opening a new state-of-the-art arena, the Clippers have made some questionable moves during the summer by re-signing James Harden and parting ways with stars Russell Westbrook and Paul George. The franchise has decided to move forward with the star duo of Harden and Kawhi Leonard, which has already gotten off to a rocky start.
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According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Leonard won’t be ready to start the upcoming 2024-25 NBA regular season as he deals with inflammation in his right knee, resulting in him being sidelined indefinitely.
LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard will be sidelined indefinitely to begin the NBA season as he rehabilitates from inflammation in his right knee, head coach Ty Lue confirmed.
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue claims there’s no timetable for Leonard’s return to the basketball floor, which is devastating news for the team moving forward into an uncertain future in Inglewood.
“[There is] no timeline,” Lue said of Leonard’s timetable to return before the Clippers faced the Kings at Intuit Dome. “Like we said from day one, it is going take some time. He’s going to progress, he’s doing all the right things, he’s working hard and he’s looking good.”
Although this is a bit of a shock ahead of the start of the 2024-25 campaign, it has become commonplace with Leonard at this point, as he is constantly dealing with knee issues. This puts the Clippers in a tough spot once again, as they’ll have to press forward and embark on a season that likely won’t go as planned with Leonard’s uncertain playing status.