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Ty Lue's Kawhi Leonard Injury Update After Clippers Practice

LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has been out all season with right knee injury recovery.

Joey Linn

Dec 23, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) looks on against the Philadelphia 76ers in the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center.
Dec 23, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) looks on against the Philadelphia 76ers in the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
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LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard practiced with the team on Tuesday for the first time this season. The two-time Finals MVP did not take contact, but did go through offensive plays and defensive coverages. Sidelined all season due to right knee injury recovery, Leonard has been ramping up for a return to contact and eventually game action.

“It raised our energy,” Clippers head coach Ty Lue told reporters after Tuesday’s practice. “Just for our guys to see him on the floor brought a juice to our team. We needed that jolt. Especially going through the schedule we've been through.”

The Clippers practiced again on Wednesday, and Lue revealed the latest on his star forward. While Leonard again did not take contact, Lue said he went through the same practice he did on Tuesday, which is a good sign considering the team practiced on consecutive days.

Lue said Leonard will not travel with the Clippers for Friday’s game against the Denver Nuggets, and he does not know when he will begin taking contact. That said, Lue added his star forward looks good and is moving good, which is something the Clippers are encouraged by.

There is no target return date for Leonard, and there are still steps he needs to complete before progressing to contact work. In the meantime, the Clippers have gotten a boost from his involvement in practice, which is a big step towards his eventual return.

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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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