Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue was left spellbound when he saw Kawhi Leonard in training ahead of the new season but was also pleased with the shape his forward was in.
Leonard was part of the healthy-looking Clippers roster that’s been making headlines on social media. The 31-year-old hasn’t played a game in 14 months after suffering from a torn left ACL. He participated in his first five-on-five earlier this week without any discomfort.
Lue admitted to seeing a different and muscled-up Leonard, who he felt was moving well, something that even his teammates echoed.
“I think in the three years I’ve been here, he’s come into camp pretty big and then he loses 12-15 pounds during the season so I think with all the rehab and all the lifting, he’s gonna bulk up. He’s in shape, not a lot of body fat, you know what I’m saying, but he is big. Big as hell, actually.”
“I think with all the rehab and all the lifting, he’s gonna bulk up. He’s in shape, not a lot of body fat, you know what I’m saying, but he is big. Big as hell, actually.”
Tyronn Lue on Clippers star Kawhi Leonard bulking up 💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/Y6SeAJKf9v
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) September 28, 2022
Much of his time over the last few months was spent on rehab and getting his strength back after the injury layoff. In the recent clips doing the rounds on social media, Leonard looks considerably stronger and bigger.
Kawhi Leonard On His Fitter Physique: “I Feel Stronger”
Talking to reporters earlier, Leonard said he was feeling much better since his return, something that sounds subtle but is actually an ominous gong to the other teams.
“I feel stronger, yeah,” Kawhi Leonard told members of the media. “I feel stronger for sure. It’s been, what, 14, 15 months of no basketball — well, playing in an NBA season for me, no basketball. That whole 13, 14-month process is just lifting, lifting weights, and getting stronger. But I definitely got a lot stronger.”
A distinct change was noticed by some of his teammates. Terance Mann focused on Leonard’s heavily-muscled legs, saying he would now withstand the beating that would come over time.
“You see his legs, they’re built to sustain injuries like that. His recovery’s going well and he’s Kawhi so he’ll be all right.”
The Clippers failed to make the postseason last year and will hope that their healthy squad, further bolstered by the addition of John Wall, would see them launch their playoff bid. They take on the Los Angeles Lakers in their season opener on October 20 after three preseason games against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Denver Nuggets.
