Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is expected to be sidelined for an indefinite period of time to start the NBA season as he continues to rehab the inflammation in his right knee, ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Thursday.
Leonard was planning to be in the Clippers' opening night lineup as long as his recovery was progressing positively.
Leonard was limited to two playoff games last season because of inflammation in a knee that has been surgically repaired twice. Leonard’s absence proved costly when the Clippers were eliminated from the playoffs in six games by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round.
The 33-year-old Leonard first experienced inflammation in his surgically repaired knee on March 31.
The Clippers open the season on Oct. 23 against Phoenix in their new arena in Inglewood.
“Right now it's a positive thing to think I will play, but we're taking it day by day,” Leonard said Monday at the team's media day inside the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. “I never plan to miss games, but it's just about my body. I'm a human being and we're playing basketball.”
Leonard indicated he could be dealing with knee inflammation for the rest of his career.
Leonard didn't play for the U.S. at the Paris Olympics, getting replaced on the team in mid-July. USA Basketball concluded that it was in his best interest to focus on preparing for the upcoming NBA season, although the Clippers later said they had no problem with him playing in Paris. Leonard had been practicing with the U.S. team in Las Vegas when he was replaced by Boston Celtics guard Derrick White. The U.S. went on to win the gold medal.
Leonard played 68 games during the regular season, his most as a Clipper, before missing the final eight because of his knee. He signed a three-year extension worth $52 million in January. But his health has restricted his post-season availability for four straight years.
“Everything has been going great for the past month, but being very cautious for reasons in the past,” he said. “Haven’t been able to finish some playoff runs so making sure I stay healthy for those important moments."
Leonard said he considered last season a success from a health perspective.
“We didn’t reach our goal but in the grand scheme of things, and how my body’s been doing, it was a good year,” he said. “Let's see if I can keep it going from here.”
Leonard sat out the entire 2021-22 season with a torn ACL in his right knee. He has missed 179 of a possible 435 games since joining the Clippers in 2019.
--With files from the Associated Press.
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