Due to injury management, Kawhi Leonard, a standout for the Los Angeles Clippers, has not yet appeared in the 2024–25 NBA season. Even before the season started, Leonard had trouble getting back to 100% due to a right knee injury recovery.
Amid his recovery from injury, there have been experts who have criticized his situation. Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins even called for Leonard to retire.
Amid all this, former NBA player Chandler Parsons defended Leonard. Parsons says he believes the two-time Finals MVP wants to return to the floor and support his team. On Thursday’s episode of “Run It Back,” the host of the show talked about the case of the Clippers star.
“I went through this,” Parsons said, “I made a lot of money and you have that guilt that, ‘Okay, you’re taking up a big contract and a big piece of the future,’ and it sucks, it eats you up because no one wants to play more than you wanna play yourself. When you put these expectations in the media, and the fans, you’re letting yourself down more than anybody else.”
“So, it does bother you, it eats you up because basketball is our life. I don’t think anybody’s supposed to feel bad for guys making $30 to $50 million a year and playing basketball for a living. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t bother the s**t out of you when you can’t go and play. Especially, you can’t go and play at the level that you’re accustomed to playing at.”
Parsons, who dealt with a similar case during his playing days in the league, trusts that Leonard wants to be back on the floor.
“It kind makes is seem like everything’s fine, but it’s not. At the end of the day, you’re not doing what you love… it still sucks.”
"You can look on the outside and see this guy's at dinner, or he has this hot girlfriend and it seems like everything is fine but at the end of the day it’s not. … Kawhi Leonard seems to be doing everything right, he just can't catch a break of good health." – @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/ml5PVEud3F
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 12, 2024
Parsons doubts if Kawhi Leonard will be the same player
While the Clippers have reported that Kawhi Leonard is out indefinitely, there’s still a possibility he’ll return to the lineup this season. However, because if his injury, there is doubt that he’d be the same player. According to Parsons, talked about his doubts with Leonard and thinks he won’t have the same production on both ends.
Fortunately for Leonard, the Clippers have clinched a 14-11 record in the Western Conference.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
