What a day it must have been in LA. Months later, Kawhi Leonard finally made his long-awaited debut. The Intuit Dome came alive during the 19 minutes he was on the floor. And the cherry on the cake was the massive 131-105 victory against the Hawks. Those who attended the game surely got their money’s worth. With his return, curious reporters were buzzing with a list of questions, one of which was about his horrifying injury.

Giving a glimpse of what he had been going through during his injury break, Kawhi told the media in the postgame press conference, “Last time I just woke up and, you know, it was flared up and I couldn’t move. So, you know, now I’m just keeping it moving and, I don’t know, just day to day.” It took a lot of rest, rehab, and conditioning to get him up and running.

Kawhi was ruled out after Game 3 of the 2024 Playoffs’ first round against the Mavs. It was an inflammation in his right knee, which completely derailed his postseason. Following that round, the Clippers too packed their bags and headed home. But for Kawhi, it marked the beginning of a long pause. His name then appeared on the USAB Team list for the Summer Olympics, sparking hope among fans.

However, that was quickly crushed when his knee swelled up, causing further trouble for the 2-time champion. Even if he didn’t want to, he had no choice but to step down. Prior to the new regular season, words came out that he wasn’t fully fit to suit up. So, the franchise and the fanbase waited a bit more. Finally, after an extended absence, that long pause came to an end on Saturday night.

In his season debut, Kawhi put up 12 points on the Clippers’ scoreboard, coupled with 3 rebounds and an assist. He can’t be expected to jump back into his old form and run the offense right away. That will certainly take some time with his minutes being restricted for now. The franchise isn’t rushing things either. As for the small forward, all he wants to do to stay healthy is “Just keep playing,” he said. Besides discussing his injury, he also shared his experience on the hardwood after such a long break.

Kawhi Leonard reflects on his return to court after a long absence

During the presser, the obvious question popped up about his return and how hard it was to get back on the court. “It was nothing hard about playing tonight,” Kawhi clarified, addressing the reporter’s inquiry. In fact, he emphasized that playing was actually the easy part.

“We did the right steps to get me to this point, and playing basketball was the easy part of it. This is what I love to do. The hard part is not playing and having to rehab and not competing with my teammates,” the 33-year-old added.

Until now, the team had been in the safe hands of James Harden, but with Kawhi Leonard’s arrival, there’s clearly more support on the offensive end, something even the veteran guard admitted. The Clippers are currently holding a 20-15 record and will be looking to maintain that rhythm moving forward.