Optimistic Kawhi Leonard knows injuries part of 'my journey' - ESPN

LAS VEGAS — Kawhi Leonard admitted he was concerned about missing out on being part of Team USA due to the right knee injury that forced him to miss the end of the LA Clippers' first-round playoff loss to the Dallas Mavericks, but said after his knee improved in recent weeks he determined he was able to take part.

«Yeah. But I took the time, and I was able to turn around over the last two weeks,» Leonard told a small group of reporters here Sunday afternoon. «So, I'm out here now and, yeah, I'm having a good time.»

Leonard was having far less of a good time in the playoffs, when he played in Games 2 and 3 against the Mavericks — both Clippers losses — before missing the final three games of that series with right knee inflammation.

It marked the third time in a row that Leonard's postseason ended prematurely because of injury — not including him missing the entire 2021-22 season after tearing his ACL in that same right knee during the 2021 playoffs.

It's a run of bad injury luck that played a significant part in the Clippers failing to live up to the lofty expectations placed upon them when Leonard joined up with Paul George five years ago, after the Clippers traded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a boatload of picks to acquire George from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and then signed Leonard away from the Toronto Raptors fresh off winning NBA Finals MVP.

But, Leonard said, he's far from the only player who has had bad injury luck, and he said he can't do anything to control that.

«Yeah, but this is just my journey, so whatever… I can't lay out the perfect script for me,» Leonard said. «Last year, I tried to play as much as possible, felt great. And at a certain period of time I couldn't go. I tried the best that I could, but