Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard is undeniably one of the best players of his generation. At the same time, he can also be viewed as among the most disappointing, and it is not because of his skills or on-court abilities but because he’s been so prone to injuries. He’s missed a lot of games with the Clippers, most notably when the team needed him to be on the court the most.
Just take for example the 2024 NBA Playoffs where Leonard appeared in only two games for the Clippers during a first-round showdown versus eventual Western Conference champions Dallas Mavericks.
Nick Wright of FOX Sports even went as far as to say that all things considered, Leonard’s time with the Clippers has been a “massive disappointment.”
“I’ve never seen a team more enraptured by a player who hasn’t done anything for them than the Clippers seem to be with Kawhi. His Clippers tenure has been a massive disappointment — mostly bc his body has broken down.”
The Los Angeles Clippers have not sniffed an NBA title with Kawhi Leonard
Leonard came to Los Angeles in 2019 after leading the Toronto Raptors to an NBA championship. He inked a three-year, $103.14 million contract with the Clippers that year then signed a four-year, r $176.27 million contract extension in 2021. Then last January, he put pen to paper for a three-year, $149.51 million contract extension with LA.
Despite all that commitment from the Clippers to the elite two-way forward, they have only been as far as the Western Conference Finals during Leonard’s tenure with the team. They have also been knocked out from the postseason in each of the last two seasons.
It can also be noted that Leonard has been removed from the roster of the Paris Olympics-bound Team USA roster which has become its own drama.
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