A gleam of excitement swirled around the Clippers. “Welcome home Clipper nation,” Steve Ballmer screamed, welcoming fans to the Intuit Dome. It was a sellout crowd of 18,000! In their first regular season game, every element of the $2 billion project shined brightly. The halo board on the roof announced every player on the roster, including two-way players to usher them into a new era for the LA franchise. Yet, one name was missing but very much present – Kawhi Leonard.

An infested fate of injuries continues to derail the 5x All-Star. The Klaw has been suffering from a knee inflammation since last season, the latest update of which is “progressing,” with no real timeline. The Clippers, though, continue to show their unwavering support, working with the two-way phantom with immense patience. With that comes managing the emotions of fans in regard to Leonard.

Over his campaign with the Clippers, only last season, Kawhi Leonard played more than 60 games in a calendar year. Ailments and missed time have been a common theme that has harbored frustrations within the Clipper nation. And while not confirmed by Steve Ballmer, Brian Windhorst feels the franchise tried to ‘shield him’ even though he made an appearance at the Intuit Dome.

“It’s opening night, so they announced the entire roster of the team. They announced the two-way guys and everything… They didn’t announce Kawhi. Kawhi was there. You saw him on the bench in those clips. They didn’t announce him. I don’t know for sure why they didn’t announce him. I have a guess. My guess is they didn’t want him to be booed,” Windy said on ESPN’s First Take.

Stephen A. Smith strongly agreed. However, he took it a step further, blaming Leonard for locking a horrific future for the franchise.

Stephen A. Smith keeps Kawhi Leonard in the crosshairs for ‘harming’ the Clippers

Smith has always been critical of the Klaw for his troubles with injuries and his unavailability during crucial times since moving to LA. But in a recent rant, he claimed the 33-year-old is responsible for possibly derailing a bright future. The origin? His demands in 2019.

“This man blackmailed the Clippers. You don’t do what it takes to get Paul George, ‘I am going to the Lakers,'” Smith claims.

The product of it was the Thunder getting a hoard of draft picks along with a budding Shai-Gilgeous Alexander. Of course, he has become a cornerstone, and OKC is back to being a contender.

However, the implications might be felt tenfold soon. Among the picks transported included an unprotected first-round pick for next season. If the Clippers can’t capitalize and have a winning season, it could put them in the lottery and then the Thunder can get the generational prospect of this year’s class.

“That pick this year is unprotected. Cooper Flagg is in this draft,” Windhorst noted.

“Kawhi didn’t just come to the Clippers. He sat up there and forced them to trade the farm for him. Okay, and then look, what do you do? You sit up there and you make sure you get your bag. Well, how come you didn’t make sure they gave Paul George his bag, so he didn’t have to leave for Philly? How about that? Since you were the one that compelled them to bring Paul George to LA, to begin with,” Stephen A. Smith continued.

Kawhi Leonard will return at some point in this season, even though it could be after a considerable time. However, pinning all the blame on him does seem unfair. His intentions have always been to compete and foster the culture he led in Toronto in 2019.

Well, the hooper’s methods could have been extreme, but even in the dismissal of Paul George, Kawhi Leonard didn’t wish for it. Furthermore, as much as the ailments hurt the Clippers, they are also part of the legacy because of the Klaw. Sadly, that’s what comes with being with such an influential star who commands the fulfillment of demands.

The Clippers will hope he returns soon and helps the team make the postseason push they will most certainly need. When healthy, he can be the difference maker. But till then, such stains will inadvertently keep falling on his resume.