Kawhi Leonard was among the many NBA stars in attendance for Kendrick Lamar’s ‘The Pop Out’ concert held in Los Angeles for Juneteenth. While players like Russell Westbrook jumped on stage to dance with Kendrick, teammate Kawhi was in his seat and was spotted smoking weed by fans around him.
Kawhi at the dot show last night going up lol pic.twitter.com/DNVz1xM8QF
— Jamal Cristopher (@JamCristopher) June 21, 2024
Leonard has been spotted in similar situations multiple times before, with fans always pointing out when Kawhi is in the process of getting high. Many fans allege that Leonard was rolling a joint when he gave his infamous, ‘What it do baby?’ soundbite while in a car with Serge Ibaka in 2019. There are various other stories of Leonard being a stoner, but those are mostly rumors.
Kawhi might be quiet on the court, but he enjoys his time outside the court to the fullest. A video of him with an emotionless face in a strip club had also gone viral in 2020.
Kawhi smoking marijuana isn’t a big deal, especially since the NBA permitted marijuana consumption by removing it from the banned substances list. Many NBA players are open about their smoking habits, with Kevin Durant among the most outspoken. Draymond Green even had a blunt-rolling station at his wedding.
Multiple former NBA stars are marijuana and cannabis advocates now, so the stigma against the substance has ebbed away in the NBA.
Kawhi Leonard Needs To Get Healthy
No matter how Leonard spends his offseason, his No. 1 priority will be to find a way to be healthy enough to contribute to the Clippers throughout the regular season while also being healthy enough to see out a Playoff run with the franchise. Injuries to Leonard have ruined four postseasons for the Clippers, with Leonard’s unavailability irking people.
Stephen A. Smith has become one of Leonard’s most outspoken critics in recent years. Smith slammed Leonard for his injury history and called him the worst superstar in NBA history.
“This is the worst superstar. I can make a case this is the worst superstar in the history of sports. He is a nightmare. You’re talking about the first four years of his time with the Clippers. He’s averaged 40.3 games a season. He played 68 games this past year and then again he wasn’t available to play.”
The two-time champion averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists with the Clippers last season, getting named to the All-NBA Second Team. There’s no doubt that Leonard is among the best two-way players in the NBA when he’s healthy. Unfortunately, he isn’t healthy all that often, which is affecting how fans and media perceive him.
The Clippers are entering a new era in their franchise next season, going through a complete rebrand and moving to their new arena, the Intuit Dome. If Leonard can stay healthy throughout the season, the Clippers will know for sure if their team can be title contenders in their current iteration.
The free agency decisions of Paul George and James Harden will weigh heavily on the Clippers, but nothing is as important as Leonard to return healthy. He’s signed on till 2027, so the Clippers’ success is tied to his availability.
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