Los Angeles Clippers’ James Harden, center left, shares a light moment with Kawhi Leonard during the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Kawhi Leonard continues to be bothered by inflammation in his right knee and will be sidelined indefinitely by the Los Angeles Clippers, ESPN reported Thursday.
The Clippers announced earlier this week that Leonard would miss the remainder of the preseason because of the lingering knee issue. Now, his regular-season availability is in question.
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Leonard, 33, hasn’t played more than 74 games in a season since he entered the NBA in 2011, and the last time he reached that number came in the 2016-17 season with the San Antonio Spurs.
READ: NBA: Kawhi Leonard will miss rest of Clippers’ preseason
The small forward played in 52 regular-season games (50 starts) in 2022-23 and in 68 games (all starts) last season.
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Leonard missed the 2021-22 season because of a torn ACL in his right knee, and inflammation from the surgery began plaguing him at the end of last season. He missed the last eight games of the regular season and four of the six games against the Dallas Mavericks during a first-round loss in the playoffs.
He also was replaced on the U.S. Olympic team ahead of the Paris Games this summer because of the knee issue, which he continues to rehabilitate.
READ: NBA: Kawhi Leonard plans to be in Clippers’ opening night lineup
Leonard is a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and two-time Finals MVP (with the Spurs in 2014 and the Toronto Raptors in 2019).
He was named an All-Star for the sixth time in 2023-24, when he wound up with averages of 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals.
The Clippers open the 2024-25 schedule Wednesday at home against the Phoenix Suns in the regular-season debut of their new $2 billion arena in Inglewood, California. –Field Level Media
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