As soon as extensively thought of the highest two-way participant within the league, Brooklyn Nets star Kawhi Leonard is again and able to make up for misplaced time after being sidelined for 493 days with an ACL harm.
Kawhi Leonard just isn’t susceptible to hyperbole.
So, the phrase he selected to explain how he felt when he suffered {a partially} torn ACL in his proper knee throughout Sport 4 of the LA Clippers’ 2021 Western Convention semi-finals collection towards Utah was particularly revealing.
“It was simply devastating getting harm in that time frame, within the playoffs, whenever you’re on a superb run,” Leonard advised FOX Sports activities this week in his first unique interview since struggling the harm.
Leonard sustained the harm when he was fouled by Joe Ingles as he drove towards the basket. Leonard grimaced in ache and limped off the court docket earlier than returning to play one other 45 seconds. The harm would thwart the Clippers’ title run and sideline Leonard for 493 days, together with all of final season.
Teammate Marcus Morris nonetheless has a difficulty with the best way Ingles made contact with Leonard and knocked him off-balance, the primary time anybody on the Clippers has insinuated that the play was soiled.
“I felt prefer it was an affordable shot in an affordable method, in all probability that’s what harm probably the most. It was a non-competitive play,” Morris mentioned this week.
The Clippers and Leonard had been certainly on a superb run. On the time, Leonard was 29 and extensively thought of the highest two-way participant within the league. Within the first spherical of the playoffs towards Dallas, Leonard dazzled with two 40-point performances whereas typically guarding Mavericks celebrity Luka Doncic. Over 11 video games that postseason, he averaged 30.4 factors on 57% capturing.
Upon signing in LA in 2019, Leonard had been hailed because the Clippers’ saviour, the antidote to their curse of by no means having made it previous the second spherical of the playoffs within the franchise’s 50-year historical past. After he went down within the 2021 playoffs, the Clippers received two extra video games to succeed in the Western Convention Finals towards Phoenix. However with out Leonard’s delicate contact, explosiveness and lightning-quick arms, they fell to the Suns in six video games.
“I really feel like that first half, for me, was more durable than something,” Leonard mentioned of being sidelined throughout a promising playoff run.
For the subsequent 16 months, Leonard needed to marvel “what if.” Final season, he watched helplessly because the Clippers missed the postseason altogether.
When requested if the psychological anguish of his absence was worse than the bodily ache of his harm, Leonard didn’t hesitate.
“It was,” he mentioned. “I discovered methods to remain away and simply take it sooner or later at a time and ensure my knee was good for this 12 months. I simply tried to take it for what it was. I used to be in a position to spend extra time with my children and see them day-after-day.”
Leonard underwent surgical procedure in July 2021 and poured himself into his rehab, notably lifting weights. Clint Parks, who educated Leonard from the age of 14 till he left San Diego State in 2011, was bowled over by Leonard‘s look when he noticed him over the summer time throughout a exercise. Parks couldn’t consider how far more muscle there was round Leonard’s calves, thighs and hamstring.
“Kawhi is a calculated dude, I’m fairly certain that was by design as a solution to shield clearly his knees,” Parks mentioned.
Throughout media day final month, Leonard advised reporters he “positively obtained loads stronger.” He added that if the Clippers had made the Finals final season, he would have performed.
As an alternative, Leonard‘s long-awaited return got here final week towards the Los Angeles Lakers. Clippers coach Tyronn Lue and Leonard agreed that he’d come off the bench to maximise his taking part in time whereas beneath a strict minutes restriction.
He entered the sport halfway by means of the second quarter and initially appeared as if no time had handed. Over the span of a minute, he grabbed two rebounds and made 16- and 15-foot fadeaways over Juan Toscano-Anderson.
However ultimately, Leonard slowed down, missed a couple of photographs he’d usually make and appeared far more like a human than the indefatigable weapon on each ends that we had grow to be accustomed to watching.
“I believed he obtained drained in stretches,” Lue mentioned.
Within the two video games he has performed, Leonard has averaged 12.5 factors on 44 per cent capturing, 6.5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.5 steals in 21 minutes per sport.
The Clippers are remaining cautious with their celebrity. Leonard missed Tuesday’s sport towards Oklahoma Metropolis after feeling stiffness in his proper knee throughout morning shootaround. He will even miss Thursday’s sport towards the Thunder. Lue advised reporters that Leonard has not suffered a setback.
For Leonard, it’s going to be an extended street however he isn’t frightened about returning to MVP-caliber kind. He believes that may come.
Leonard already proved that when he returned from a quadriceps harm that restricted him to solely 9 video games with San Antonio in 2017-18 by profitable a championship the next season in Toronto.
Leonard’s work ethic is famend.
When San Antonio chosen him because the fifteenth general decide within the 2011 draft, they had been hoping he’d grow to be an elite defender, a Bruce Bowen-type of participant. However he significantly defied their expectations, as an alternative reworking right into a participant who can each cease and rating on anybody within the league. Beneath Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, Leonard turned the dwelling embodiment of the selfless philosophies and laborious work the coach espouses.
Leonard went from averaging 7.9 factors as a rookie with the Spurs, to averaging a career-high 27.1 factors with the Clippers in 2019-2020. He’s a two-time champion, two-time Finals MVP, two-time Defensive Participant of the Yr and five-time All-Star.
Leonard is extra intense than any participant Parks has ever seen. He mentioned Leonard used to carry his personal lamp to the health club at San Diego State to light up the court docket throughout late-night exercises. Parks used the phrase “maniacal” to explain Leonard‘s work ethic, the identical phrase Clippers president Lawrence Frank selected to explain Leonard in June.
During the last 4 seasons, Morris has carefully witnessed how a lot his teammate pours himself into his craft. When Morris was requested if Leonard loves the sport otherwise than different NBA gamers, he paused.
“That’s a superb query,” Morris mentioned. “Sh–, I feel so. I hope so. He’s probably the greatest gamers. That exhibits love already as a result of it’s so many guys that’s performed. To be one of many High 75 that’s ever performed the sport, you’ve obtained to have a distinct kind of – you’ve obtained to be virtually insane, you realize what I imply? I suppose that if insane is love, then yeah.”
For Leonard, the devastation of the final 16 months is lastly within the rearview.
After his second sport, in a dimly lit hallway of Crypto.com Area, Leonard was requested what it means to be again on the court docket.
His typical stoic expression gave solution to a smile.
“It feels nice,” Leonard mentioned. ”I’ve put in plenty of work to be the participant I’ve grow to be at this time. And never taking part in and being younger is sort of devastating. However I’m again now. So, I’m very blissful.”
– Fox Sports activities US