The LA Clippers started their 2024-25 campaign with a 19-13 record, primarily led by James Harden, Norman Powell, and Ivica Zubac. The Clippers entered Tuesday in fifth place in the Western Conference, despite playing without their superstar forward.
Kawhi Leonard has yet to suit up this season, as fans can only imagine how much he will elevate this Clippers squad. The 33-year-old forward continues to recover from a right knee injury, as he has been plagued with injuries throughout his career. Leonard has played over 60 games in a season just once over the past seven years, including missing all of the 2021-22 season.
Leonard, a six-time All-Star, is one of the best players in the NBA when healthy, but constantly catches flak for how often he is injured. For something that is out of his control, Leonard gets more criticism than many other players in the league.
Dec 4, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard watches from the bench during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Intuit Dome. / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Clippers head coach Ty Lue joined the Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis, with high praise for how hard of a worker Leonard is, comparing him to LA Lakers superstar and future Hall of Famer LeBron James.
"Both [Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James] putting in work every single day and grind every single day to get better," Lue said. "They remind me a lot of each other when it comes to that work ethic and putting that work in to get where they want to get to."
Lue's comparing Leonard to James is not that crazy when fans see the way the two superstars produce on the court. Lue had more praise for Leonard's work ethic, explaining how hard he tries to get back on the court and how badly he wants to play, despite the unfair criticism that comes his way.
"It's just hard for the criticism that comes his way when I know I see him every day grinding in the weight room, grinding on the court every single day, and it's just unfortunate that he can't control what he has going on," Lue said. "He's not a guy that doesn't care. He does care, and that's what people don't understand from the outside and it's just tough."
Lue's statement went viral, tallying over 200,000 views on this X post.
Leonard has had trouble staying on the court in the latter half of his career, but the two-time Defensive Player of the Year and two-time Finals MVP has made a lasting impact on the league and should not be criticized for his health.
Ex-NBA Star Calls Out Drake for DeMar DeRozan Comments
Patrick Beverley Makes Statement on Possible NBA Comeback
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Makes Honest Statement on Clippers-Thunder Trade
No comments:
Post a Comment