Metta Sandiford-Artest may have Purple and Gold in his veins, but he’s not about to ignore the upcoming return of a Clippers legend.
Last season, L.A. had to endure without the services of Kawhi Leonard, who suffered a torn ACL in Game 4 of the Conference Semifinals against the Utah Jazz.
We haven’t seen or heard much from the guy since, but Artest is ready to see him on the court. In a chat with ClutchPoints, he showered Leonard and the Clippers with all kinds of praise.
“Anybody in LA, I love,” Sandiford-Artest said. “I live in LA. T-Lue is a Laker, also a Clipper, so I hope he does well. Hopefully, we get Kawhi back. I wanna see Kawhi BACK. I’m not playing. I wanna see Kawhi back. So hopefully, he comes back with a vengeance and comes back. I wanna see him on the court.”
Of course, there are some questions about Kawhi’s game in the aftermath of his injury. At the very least, it’s going to take some time before he’s playing at peak strength again.
Still, Artest is optimistic about the team’s immediate future.
Despite not having played on an NBA court in 16 months, Metta Sandiford-Artest believes Leonard still has what it takes to show how special he is. “Kawhi is special. He’s in shape, he can score, and he can play defense. He’s incredible. He’s incredibly special.
When informed that Leonard was also named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team, the NBA’s list naming the 75 best players of all-time, Metta Sandiford-Artest’s shock turned into appreciation.
“God damn… He’s incredibly special. He’s special, for sure.”
Kawhi isn’t your typical NBA superstar. Besides being extremely quiet and reserved, he’s one of those rare players who excel on both ends of the floor.
As a true two-way master, he can put up points in bunches while guarding the opponent’s best player.
If he’s healthy and ready to go for opening top-off, the Clippers could be a real threat in the West.
