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Was Kawhi Leonard Really Spotted at Strip Club After Withdrawing From USA's Olympics Squad? Exploring Viral Video
A video showing Kawhi Leonard making it rain in a strip club has gone viral online, a few hours after he departed from Team USA. How true is the news? Let’s find out.
The U.S. men's basketball team has adjusted its roster. Los Angeles Clippers' All-Star Kawhi Leonard has pulled out from the U.S. men's senior basketball team and will miss the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Derrick White of the NBA champion Boston Celtics is stepping in for Leonard on the U.S. team for Paris. This is the first change to the roster announced in the spring. The decision came on Tuesday, with White accepting the invitation that night and USA Basketball revealing the update Wednesday morning.
However, a video went viral online a few hours after Leonard's withdrawal from Team USA, showing him throwing money inside a strip club. According to a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), Leonard was spotted in Vegas after leaving Team USA. How true is this news? Let’s find out.
Verdict: Fake news
The video of Kawhi Leonard allegedly having a blast in a strip club is 4 years old
The uploaded video shows a person throwing cash on a stripper in a club in Vegas and claims it was Leonard. Although the person in the video resembles Leonard, it is still unclear if it is him. However, a few fans claimed that it was not Leonard, and some fans added that the person in the video was Leonard, but one thing is clear, the video is old.
The man in the strip club, who resembles 'fun guy' Kawhi Leonard, is seen wearing a New Balance hoodie, receiving a lap dance, and making it rain. The video went viral about four years ago.
One fan remarked, “This ain’t Kawhi though.”
Many fans highlighted the New Balance hoodie. "Kawhi Leonard is the only human on Earth to wear New Balance to the club (laughing to tears emoji). Confidence level is unbeatable," one fan wrote.
Another fan reacted, “Let his country down to dabble in the hoes, typical Kawhi letdown.”
A fan noted the video’s age, commenting, “This old! This after he won the championship in Toronto.”
Even without Kawhi Leonard, Team USA defeats Canada
Before Team USA's exhibition game against Canada, the big story was about Kawhi Leonard being sent back to Los Angeles from training camp due to health concerns, making him unfit for the Paris Olympics.
After the fourth day of practice, Grant Hill, the managing director of Team USA, informed Leonard on Tuesday night that it would be better for him and the Clippers to prepare for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
"We tried. I think we all tried and we gave it a valiant effort, and unfortunately, we have to move forward," Hill said on Wednesday.
Even without Kawhi, the dream must be fulfilled. In their first game together preparing for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the U.S. men’s basketball team defeated Canada 86-72 in an exhibition match on Wednesday.
Anthony Edwards scored 13 points, Steph Curry added 12, and Anthony Davis recorded 10 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks for the U.S. LeBron James contributed seven points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 19 minutes, and Jrue Holiday had 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.
The U.S. is favored to win Olympic gold for the fifth straight time, and Canada’s NBA-laden roster, featuring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, and RJ Barrett, is a medal contender aiming for its first Olympic podium finish since winning silver in 1936.
