Kawhi Leonard Breaks Silence on Awkward Team USA Basketball Departure

Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard spoke for the first time about leaving Team USA

Sep 30, 2024; Inglewood, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during media day at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

For a brief moment, Kawhi Leonard was locked in to be one of the 12 players on Team USA basketball's roster. Then suddenly, Leonard was taken off the team for what seemed to be injury-related. Now, after Team USA won the Gold Medal, Leonard opened up about the departure.

During Clippers media day, Kawhi Leonard was asked about his experience with Team USA, to which he gave a very diplomatic answer.

“Good. I thank them for the opportunity," Leonard said. Things came out of nowhere. It was out of my control. That’s all I can do. I’m glad they could get the gold medal."

An update on Kawhi Leonard from the USA Basketball Men's National Team. pic.twitter.com/84TjYpc90i

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 10, 2024

Leonard then gave some details as to how his normal routine was going before and after the Olympics. In his eyes, everything was going great, but he took a small step back. That step back is what the situation to become as cautious as it is now.

“Yeah, leading up to Olympics, after the Olympics everything was great," Leonard said. "Leading up to that point I was doing everything, and we took a step back and wanted to make sure like I said that I’m ready for the season and just be able to last in those important moments for myself, fans and Clippers."

Kawhi Leonard arrives for 🇺🇸 #USABMNT camp! pic.twitter.com/RQI6f64vVC

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 5, 2024

Just a few months ago, Kawhi Leonard arrived for Team USA's camp. Ever since that moment, the status surrounding his knee has remained a mystery, even leading into the 2024-25 NBA season.

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