In a recent appearance on ‘Undisputed’ Celtics legend Paul Pierce made his latest outlandish take concerning NBA star Kawhi Leonard. In the wake of his exit from Team USA, Pierce urged him to retire and stop now for the sake of his own health.
“Knowing Kawhi’s history of injuries, I like that move. He probably has that itch, but I think it’s probably best for both parts that he pays that team that’s paying him money,” said Pierce. “Kawhi should really start thinking about retirement. I really do believe that. This is just for the guy’s health. He’s missed 44% of the games… You really got to think about the long run for yourself.”
https://twitter.com/undisputed/status/1811092606270496768
Pierce is a former All-Star for the Celtics who helped lead the franchise to a championship in 2008. Now, he works as a broadcaster for FOX Sports, where he goes viral frequently for his bold takes. In the case of Kawhi, his position here is actually quite tame when you look at the situation and he’s hardly the only one to feel this way.
Stephen A. Smith also said that Kawhi should retire earlier last season, along with when he called Leonard “the worst superstar in sports.”
Leonard, a 2x champion, will always be revered for his skills as a two-way player. The 6’7″ swingman is notorious for his efficiency from mid-range and as a meticulous defender. Last season, at 32, he averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game on 52.5% shooting for the Clippers.
While Kawhi remains one of the best players in the league, his availability has been a major concern ever since his rise to stardom. Leonard, for all his talent, is consistently never available when his team needs him the most and it’s a problem that goes back to his days with the Spurs.
After back-to-back All-Star seasons, Kawhi had a falling out with the franchise in 2017 over disagreements on his medical treatment. It’s believed that Kawhi at least partially named the Spurs for his lingering medical issues that season and rejected their claim that he was healthy and able to play.
To Kawhi’s credit, he was able to lead the Raptors to a championship a few years later but his availability for the Clippers has been almost non-existent due to injury, load management, or some other reason.
He’s also unavailable to play for Team USA and was a sudden drop out after making a commitment to the team. At this point, it’s fair to wonder if Kawhi should even be playing at all given that he’s barely been on the court all of these years.
For the 2024-25 campaign, Leonard will be in his 13th season, and with Paul George gone, the burden will be heavier than ever for him to elevate the Clippers to elite status in the West. If he retires now, he doesn’t have to worry about any of it and he still gets to keep his reputation as a champion intact.
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