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By Alex Kirschenbaum
Contributing Entertainment Writer
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The Los Angeles Clippers' best player, six-time All-Star small forward Kawhi Leonard, incurred a major injury setback and has now been shelved "indefinitely" while he continues to recuperate from right knee inflammation, report Shams Charania and Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
Read more: NBA Champion to Replace Kawhi Leonard on Team USA in Paris Olympics
The two-time Finals MVP has been plagued by a lingering right knee issue since the 2023-24 postseason. He was sent home from the Team USA men's basketball squad after his knee issue flared up during their Las Vegas mini-camp prep, ahead of an eventual gold medal run at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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Leonard has not played during the team's preseason at all. The 6-foot-7 swingman has also been unable to partake in any on-court activity with contact in training camp, Charania and Youngmisuk reveal.
"He has not been a part of what we've been doing on a daily basis," Clippers assistant coach Brian Shaw said Wednesday. "I know the company line has been that we're going to be patient with him, so he's doing everything that he can to rehab it and strengthen that knee on his own with our medical staff. And we're just dealing with the guys that we have [available]."
Read more: Kawhi Leonard's Playing Status For Season Opener in Trouble
The 33-year-old superstar's latest injury first flared up after a victory against the Charlotte Hornets on March 31. He sat out all of the Clippers' last eight regular season contests and only survived two of L.A.'s six playoff games against the Dallas Mavericks before being shut down. He tried to rally in time for the Olympics this summer, but apparently, he was not healthy enough to suit up for his first summer games.
Clippers team president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank indicated that his knee inflammation had decreased from its playoff peak, but Los Angeles was exercising extreme caution.
Leonard has had an injury-plagued run with his hometown Clippers since signing on as a free agent in 2019. He tore his ACL during the 2021 playoffs, then missed all of the team's subsequent 2021-22 season, which concluded with a play-in tournament defeat. Although Leonard suited up for 52 contests in 2022-23, he tore his right meniscus in the Clippers' eventual first-round defeat to the Phoenix Suns that spring.
The two-time Defensive Player of the Year was available for 68 contests in 2023-24. That tally represented his most prolific run since 2016-17 when he was still on the San Antonio Spurs. He logged averages of 23.7 points, 6.1 boards, 3.6 dimes, and 1.6 swipes a night.
Clippers point guard James Harden, who inked a two-year, $70 million deal over the summer to stay with L.A. through 2025-26, will presumably take on a larger role in the team's offense with Leonard out to start the year.
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