When Kawhi Leonard is healthy, he’s among the NBA’s elite, dominating both ends of the floor. However, in recent years, Leonard’s health has been the biggest question mark surrounding his career. His injury woes have been ongoing, with the latest update from ESPN’s Shams Charania confirming that Leonard is still rehabbing his right knee and remains indefinitely out. This uncertainty around Leonard’s availability has led Charles Barkley to make a bold decision—leaving him off his Top 50 player list.

In a viral video, Chuck, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith began revealing their top 50 NBA player lists for the new season. And Chuck’s omission of Leonard turned heads. When pressed about his choice, Barkley didn’t hold back. “Because he’s not healthy. He hasn’t been healthy in five years. You gotta play basketball. The best ability is availability,” Barkley said.

However, Leonard’s performance last season showed promise—he averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists through 68 games. Yet, just when he seemed to be hitting his stride, swelling in his knee kept him out of the final eight games. This setback added to a laundry list of injuries over Leonard’s career, including a torn ACL in 2021 and a meniscus tear in 2023.

Still, Barkley has been vocal about Leonard’s ability, often giving praise while pointing out his weaknesses. After a game in 2023 where the Clippers dominated the Lakers, Barkley didn’t hesitate to crown Leonard as “the king of LA.” “The Lakers ain’t gonna make no run… Kawhi Leonard ran them out of the building last night,” he said.

But fast forward to Leonard’s return after his knee inflammation last season, and it was a different story. Leonard struggled, scoring just 15 points on 7-for-17 shooting with seven rebounds and two assists. Barkley summed up the performance in his usual straightforward manner: “Kawhi looked really rusty.” However, the Chuckster was a big fan a few years ago.

Charles Barkley declared Kawhi Leonard as the second-best NBA player

Back in 2017, Kawhi Leonard had a standout performance during the first half of Game 2 in the Spurs’ first-round playoff series against the Grizzlies. Dropping 18 points before halftime, he caught the attention of the TNT crew. Shaquille O’Neal was quick to praise him, stating, “Kawhi Leonard is definitely a superstar. [He’s the] second-best player in the league.”

Charles Barkley didn’t hesitate to back up Shaq’s claim: “I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.” “LeBron’s the best player in the world, but that kid right there, he does it all. Offense, defense, he does it all.”

Interestingly, when Leonard was asked about the high praise from Shaq and Chuck.“I didn’t hear it, but it doesn’t matter. I’m trying to be the best team in the world right now. It’s not about me. It’s all about the Spurs,” he said.

That season was indeed one of the best in his career, averaging 25.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. He also earned his third NBA All-Defensive First Team selection, his second All-NBA First Team, and another NBA All-Star nod. But with numerous injuries over the years, the Klaw seems to have lost a step. We can only hope Leonard can get fit again.