Can Kawhi Leonard ever be counted on to lead a team again?

Kawhi Leonard has been a bit of a mystery to the general public. His basketball talent cannot be denied, but the way in which he floats in and out of certain situations has tended to cause consternation and confusion amongst NBA fans. As Leonard has had another eventful summer, we’ll take a look at how reliable he can realistically be moving forward. All statistics are sourced from Basketball Reference.

The United States men’s basketball team assembled in Law Vegas to gear up for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Kawhi Leonard was present when the super-team got together, as he was present for the group photo and practices. However, it would prove to be a short stint.

About two weeks before the Olympics were set to begin, it was reported by ESPN and others that Leonard would not be a part of the squad competing in Paris. “We just felt that we had to pivot, and not to get into the particulars in terms of what went into the decision, but we just felt it was in our best interests, but also in the Clippers’ and Kawhi’s best interest, to move in a different direction,” said Team USA executive director Grant Hill.

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The Los Angeles Times reported that Hill, Steve Kerr (the US’s head coach) and the Los Angeles Clippers’ front office were concerned after they watched him work out before official Team USA activities in Los Angeles.

There’s enough evidence to suggest that Leonard wasn’t going to be physically able to give the U.S. what they were looking for from him, even in limited minutes. However, this is a bit of a concerning pattern, as the transparency from the Clippers, and by association, Leonard, seemed to be lacking here.

Leonard missed the last eight games of the NBA regular season, and played in two out of six games in Los Angeles’ first round series against the Dallas Mavericks. It was reported that he was dealing with knee inflammation, which hampered him at the most important time of the season.

However, it’s a bit concerning that three months after the Clippers’ season ended, Leonard’s physical well-being is still a cause for concern. What’s perhaps even stranger is that no one seemed to expect to be in this situation, based on actions and comments that were made publicly over the course of the spring and summer.

Kawhi Leonard was selected to the U.S. men’s basketball team on April 17 with the final spot on the roster, according to the San Diego Union Tribune. That’s an important date, because it was just after he missed the final eight regular season games, and before Los Angeles’ first round playoff series with Dallas began. It seemed like at that point, USA Basketball, Leonard, and the Clippers didn’t think the knee would be an issue during the summer.

In early July, Leonard was asked whether the Clippers were worried about his participation in the Olympics. “Not really,” he told ESPN. “They were positive about the situation. So, yeah, they weren’t too worried about it.”

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He also told Yahoo Sports in early July, “I took the time, and I was able to turn around over the last two weeks. So I’m out here now, and, yeah, I’m having a good time.”

Of course, the expectation that was demonstrated and communicated by USA Basketball and Kawhi Leonard didn’t end up coming to fruition, as he was replaced on the roster by Derrick White. At best, this move was made out of an abundance of caution, but the need for such drastic measures to be taken so close to the Olympics doesn’t bode well for Leonard.

This isn’t the first time there’s been a vague veil of uncertainty around Leonard and the Clippers. During the 2021 Western Conference Finals, the All-Star forward suffered a knee injury, which AP News mentioned the Clippers declined to specify. It was later revealed that it was a partial ACL tear, which sidelined him for the entirety of the 2021-2022 season.

Leonard’s quiet demeanor has been written about on several occasions, some of which has been amusing for the purposes of NBA social media. However, this mannerism has also caused some friction at other stops.

Bleacher Report noted that Kawhi Leonard reportedly didn’t respond to messages sent by the San Antonio Spurs for weeks on end in 2018, when his time with the franchise came to a bizarre and abrupt end. Yahoo Sports reported that Leonard’s entourage also physically hid him from the Spurs’ training staff as he was working his way back from a quad injury.

Although it was less of a mystery, Leonard’s season still ended with him on the sidelines in 2023. He tore his meniscus against the Phoenix Suns in the first round of that playoff series, which was yet another damper on his career.

However, Leonard has proven that he can lead a team to a title, as he did with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. He was also a major part of the Spurs' 2014 championship team. It’s that supreme level of production that keeps Clippers supports and NBA fans thinking that he can recapture the magic at some point.

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