Of course, we know now that Kawhi Leonard has a torn Meniscus in his knee, but it didn’t stop people from flaming him for the Clippers’ failures this year. In fact, in a recent rant, Stephen A. Smith even called on the star swingman to retire.
But some people, like former NBA player Richard Jefferson, have come to Kawhi’s defense and shielded him from blame for an injury that he couldn’t control.
“The man has a torn meniscus and there’s nothing you can do. I don’t like hearing people say that the Clippers should make him retire. I don’t like hearing people say that Kawhi should retire, because it’s nobody’s place to tell a player when to retire. That is not our job, that is not our place. When I look at guys like Derrick Rose, who went through horrific injury after injury, and all he did was keep battling back — put up a 50-point game with tears in his eyes. When I look at guys that are battling back all the time I think about Isiah Thomas battling back… we can’t sit up here in this position and ever tell a player when it’s done. That’s not our place.”
"It's nobody's place to tell a player when to retire."@Rjeff24 reacts to Kawhi's injury ⬇️
(via NBA Today) pic.twitter.com/BVbWV9AiU9
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 26, 2023
RJ didn’t call out Stephen A. by name here, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that he’s responding directly to his comments. While it’s easy for guys like Smith and others to blame Kawhi for his unavailability, telling players to retire may be a step too far.
Why Does Stephen A. Think Kawhi Should Retire?
Kawhi Leonard goes to extraordinary measures to ensure he’s at his best come playoff time. But since winning the title in 2019, Kawhi has rarely been healthy enough when it matters, and this year was another example of his absence hurting the team.
In Stephen A. Smith’s eyes, Kawhi is better off away from the game entirely since he barely plays at all when it matters.
“The man is a two-time champion. He’s a two-time [Finals] MVP…But he is the absolute worst superstar you could possibly have on your team,” said Smith. “He’s barely ever there, and on top of it all, he does nothing to market or promote your franchise.”
Obviously, the Clippers will not follow Smith’s advice, nor will Kawhi, but it does show the stat of their team right now after another failed postseason.
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