It was Team USA’s decision to send Kawhi Leonard home ahead of the Paris Olympic Games, executive director Grant Hill told reporters Wednesday.
Leonard, who has been on and off the court with knee injuries for years, was replaced by the Celtics’ Derrick White.
“We just felt that we had to pivot, and not to get into the particulars, in terms of what went into the decision, but we just felt it was in our best interest, but also in the Clippers’ and Kawhi’s best interest, to move into a different direction,” Hill said, according to ESPN. “We tried. I think we all tried and we gave it a valiant effort, and unfortunately, we have to move forward.”
Leonard missed the final three games of the Clippers’ first-round playoff series against the Mavericks and the final eight games of the regular season with right knee inflammation.
He entered Team USA training camp in Las Vegas with just two weeks of workouts and appeared to be walking with a slight limp, per Bontemps.
“I know what it’s like to want to do something and your body’s just not right,” Hill said of Leonard. “And I’ve lived that personally. And so I applaud him for coming here and being willing to sacrifice, give up his summer and represent our country and play for our program. … Ultimately, it didn’t work out.”
Hill added that the Clippers “were in [the] conversation” to end Leonard’s Olympic team experience.
“It’s bittersweet, obviously, but we’re, we’re thrilled to add Derrick White,” Hill said.
The end of Leonard’s Team USA campaign is just the latest injury setback in a career full of them for the six-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion.
Leonard tore his ACL in the second round of playoffs against the Jazz in 2021, causing him to miss the entire 2021-22 season.
In 2023, he tore his meniscus in the Clippers’ first-round series against the Suns, missing the last three games.
He was limited to nine games with the Spurs in 2017-18 with a lingering quad injury.
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