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LA Clippers Head Coach Makes Kawhi Leonard Injury Announcement

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has not played this season due to right knee injury recovery.

Joey Linn

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) reacts against the Phoenix Suns during game two of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Footprint Center.
Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) reacts against the Phoenix Suns during game two of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Footprint Center. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has missed the team’s first 12 games due to right knee injury recovery. The injury timeline for Leonard has been well documented at this point, as swelling in his surgically repaired right knee has kept him sidelined since Game 4 of last year’s opening round playoff series.

Suffering a setback during Team USA camp in Las Vegas, Leonard was removed from the Paris Olympics roster before the eventual gold medalists played a game. Now four months later, the star forward remains sidelined.

Speaking with reporters ahead of Wednesday night’s game against the Houston Rockets, Clippers head coach Ty Lue announced that Leonard will be out at least the next week.

“He’s progressing,” Lue said. “He’s gonna be out for this next week is all I can tell you.”

Tyronn Lue and Kawhi Leonard
LA Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue and forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at Staples Center. / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

This week-to-week approach has been standard for Lue and the Clippers when it comes to providing updates on Leonard’s injury recovery. While the Clippers have been criticized for their lack of communication regarding Leonard’s injuries in previous seasons, this year is much different, because there really is no sense from the team on when exactly he will be back.

For now, Lue continues to announce on a weekly basis that Leonard will remain out. It isn’t much, but it at least removes the need for a game-to-game discussion about the star forward and his injury absence.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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