Kawhi Leonard had only logged two games this season before a crisis back home gave him another reason not to play. According to the latest intel from Chris Haynes, Leonard is stepping away from the Clippers once again to be with his family after the mass evacuations within Los Angeles.
“Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is stepping away from the team sources told me, he is going to tend to family in the L.A. area who were forced to evacuate due to the wildfires that’s going on over there,” said Haynes on X.
Leonard, 33, was born in Los Angeles and has been playing there for the past five years. Currently, the area is being ravaged by wildfires that have forced thousands of people from their homes. It’s being pegged as one of the worst firestorms in the region’s history with over 15,000 acres burned and two people dead.
The crisis has forced many out of their homes, including Kawhi’s family who lives in Riverside. It’s unknown when Leonard will be back for the Clippers but they are used to playing without him by now. In fact, after the news, Clippers fans were flaming him on social media for his constant unavailability.
“If he was anybody else I would say understandable,” wrote one fan. “I think he should stop making money from his contract.”
Nobody can blame Kahwi for putting his family over the game but his track record for showing up to play might be the worst in the league. Dating back to his time with the Spurs, Kawhi once missed all but nine games in the 2017-18 season as he recovered from injury.
After forcing his way out of the Spurs, and winning a title in his lone season with the Raptors, Kawhi signed with the Clippers in hopes of leading a dynasty in his hometown city. So far, however, it’s been nothing but disappointment for the franchise.
Since 2019, the Clippers have only made the Conference Finals once and they’ve rarely been considered a serious threat to win the title. Of course, the Clippers’ failure cannot be pinned down on one individual but Kawhi’s regular absences over the years have certainly not helped.
After skipping the entirety of the 2021-22 season, Leonard played 52 games the following season and the 2023-24 campaign is his healthiest to date in a Clippers jersey with 68 games played. This season, in just two games, Leonard is averaging a measly 10.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game on 31.8% shooting.
With no timetable set for his return, Kawhi’s latest hiatus means the Clippers will have to go even longer without their top star and that’s not great given that they’re in a fierce battle for a top spot in the standings right now.
Hopefully, the situation in Los Angeles will improve and things can return to normal for everyone in the area. After that, maybe Kawhi will finally be ready to make his return and validate the Cippers’ trust in his abilities.
Tonight, the Clippers must play on without Kawhi in a showdown against the Nuggets at Ball Arena at 9:00 M EST. On Saturday, January 11th, the Clippers play the Charlotte Hornets at 10:30 PM EST before a game against the Miami Heat on Monday, January 13th at Intuit Dome.
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