Kawhi Leonard admits to ‘long-term’ ankle injury

ByNBAUSA



The Los Angeles Clippers‘ Kawhi Leonard has had limited minutes lately due to an ankle injury. Leonard initially left the game against the Los Angeles Lakers with more than five minutes left on the clock, but has since responded in a loss to Orlando Magic, with 37 points and eight rebounds.

However, Leonard doesn’t seem to have fully recovered from his ankle problem and recently revealed that it was a “permanent injury”, per post on X by Sports Illustrated by Farbod Esnashari.

“Kawhi added that he didn’t want to potentially disrupt his availability against the Magic by making him play against the Lakers,” the reporter revealed.

Leonard is still extremely crucial as far as the Clippers’ ceiling is concerned. Through 43 games, the All-Star forward is averaging 28 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 49% from the field and 38% from three.

Of course, Leonard also remains one of the best, if not the best, two-way stars in the league, and his importance has only grown since the departure of James Harden. The Clippers are far from playoff contention and are currently below the .500 mark despite an uptick in form.

They are currently 10th in the West at 27-30 and are heavily dependent on Kawhi’s health if they want to make the postseason. Regardless, fans will be delighted to see him continue to perform at a high level despite the ankle problem.

Leonard was key against the Lakers and kept his team in the game until the very end. The Clippers could have easily won the game if he wasn’t forced, and his 37-point performance against the Magic coming off an injury further shows what he brings to the table.

For now, fans will simply hope he can recover quickly.





2026-02-23 15:00:00

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