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Is Kawhi Leonard Retiring? All You Need to Know About Clippers Star’s NBA Future
After an unfortunate exit from the Team USA roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Kawhi Leonard has been speculated to retire. Read more to find out if he is really taking a bow.
Right before the 2024 Paris Olympics, USA Basketball announced that Kawhi Leonard, a standout player from the Los Angeles Clippers, has made the decision to withdraw from Team USA and will not be participating.
As a result, Derrick White from the Boston Celtics has been named as his replacement on the roster, as confirmed by USA Basketball officials. The news of Leonard's withdrawal came on the heels of reports from Marc Spears of ESPN, indicating concerns raised by Leonard's camp to USA Basketball prior to the official announcement.
Despite the speculations, there has been no confirmation regarding Kawhi Leonard's retirement from professional basketball. Although, months after Kawhi’s withdrawal from the national roster, a search trend recently took the internet and fans are speculating if he has announced his retirement.
Although, there has not been any official announcement from the Clippers or from Leonard as well. So we can address the surge in internet search as a mere speculation around the star player.
Before the latest rumor, it all started when a tweet went viral claiming that the Clippers forward had made up his mind to say goodbye to the game. But soon after, it was debunked to be fake news posted from a parody account.
Back then, the viral tweet suggesting Kawhi Leonard's retirement lacked credibility, and there was no official statement or confirmation from the player or his representatives regarding such a significant career decision. With his recent struggles due to a right knee injury during the 2023-24 NBA season, Leonard's focus remains on his recovery and potential return to the court with the Los Angeles Clippers.
However, Kawhi Leonard is expected to take on a significant scoring role for the Los Angeles Clippers this season following the departures of All-Stars Paul George and Russell Westbrook. Last season, alongside Paul George, Leonard averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, showcasing his scoring ability and efficiency.
Despite facing some late-season knee troubles, Clippers head coach Ty Lue has confirmed that Leonard is healthy and prepared to lead the team in scoring for the upcoming season. With no high-scoring free-agent additions to the team, Leonard is poised to have an unobstructed runway to claim the scoring lead for the Clippers, as noted by sports writer Grant Hughes.
While Kawhi Leonard is expected to lead the Clippers in scoring, there is also anticipation surrounding James Harden's potential resurgence in his scoring performance. Harden, the 2018 MVP, is aiming to capitalize on the increased scoring opportunities resulting from Paul George's absence.
Harden averaged 16.6 points per game last season, his lowest since 2012, but he could be a key contributor to the Clippers' scoring efforts in the upcoming season. With limited scoring options outside of Leonard, Harden, and sixth man Norman Powell, the Clippers will rely on consistent production from their other players to maintain competitiveness in the challenging Western Conference.
