Fun Guy Kawhi Leonard Pokes Fun at Career-Threatning Injuries He Survived Amid Healthy Clippers Season

Ever since his trade from the Toronto Raptors, Kawhi Leonard has been holding down the fort for the Los Angeles Clippers. Leonard has even entered the MVP conversation, with buzz taking off after receiving MVP chants at the free-throw line earlier this season. So, what’s the 32-year-old’s secret to putting out stellar performances in the 50 games he’s played this year? Kawhi has a hilarious answer for that!

In a post-game interview after facing the Sacramento Kings, a reporter asked Leonard, “What goes into you being available for so many of these games this year?” With a straight face, he replied, “Not tearing my ACL, not tearing my meniscus.”

Here, Kawhi is referring to the wave of injuries plaguing the league. From Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant, who is out for the season with a shoulder injury, to Joel Embiid who underwent surgery for a torn meniscus, no one has been immune. Everyone except Kawhi Leonard, it seems!

Despite the LA Clippers losing to the Sacramento Kings, their first two-game losing streak since December 2023, Leonard still contributed 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. James Harden also chipped in with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists.

Time for the Clippers to step up

Known for his no-nonsense, yet “Fun Guy” personality, Leonard candidly stated during the post-game interview that the Clippers, despite competing, are “a step behind.” He further elaborated, “Hopefully we get a rhythm. You know, we got games coming up and I mean yeah, we got time to get better, just starts now.”

The Los Angeles Clippers, despite an All-Star-laden roster, have encountered challenges when stacked up against top teams like the Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder. Their recent struggles, including a 129-107 loss to the Thunder on Thursday night, do not paint a pretty picture. This defeat marked the Clippers’ 2nd-consecutive loss to teams above them in the Western Conference standings, including a 121-100 setback against the first-place Minnesota Timberwolves on February 12th.

Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers in scoring with 20 points, but his post-game comments reflected the team’s frustration when he stated, “We turned over the ball and they got out in transition and just cooked us up.”

Despite the recent losses, the Clippers (37-19) remained in third place in the West but now Denver (39-19) has caught up to them after their win against the Golden State Warriors and are currently sitting pretty at 3 while the Clippers have been pushed down to 4 after their loss to the Kings. As Leonard says, hopefully, they’ll find their rhythm and not suffer a career-threatening injury and they should bounce right back!

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