The 12-man roster that Crew USA has assembled for the Paris Olympics is an all-star forged of gamers. That features a few of the league’s greatest expertise like Steph Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant. At 10:30 p.m. tonight, Crew USA has their first exhibition match in opposition to Canada forward of the Olympics.
NBA insider Shams Charania reported immediately that Kawhi Leonard is withdrawing from Crew USA for the Paris Olympics. Leonard had been working to prepare for the Olympics however his knee was giving him issues. Charania famous that the six-time all-star has been affected by power knee soreness and inflation for months. He simply wasn’t able to play this summer time and it’s doubtless the perfect for for Crew USA and himself.
After cautious consideration, Kawhi Leonard won’t be taking part in for Crew USA within the Paris Olympics as a consequence of harm
Breaking: Kawhi Leonard won’t play within the Paris Olympics, USA Basketball introduced.
The group and the Clippers decided it’s in Leonard’s greatest curiosity to spend the remainder of the summer time making ready for the upcoming season. pic.twitter.com/2sqQMQdPO6
— ESPN (@espn) July 10, 2024
Over the past seven years of Kawhi Leonard’s profession, the gifted SF has needed to take care of a number of nagging accidents. In his ultimate season with the Spurs in 2017-28, Leonard performed in simply 9 video games. He missed the primary 27 video games of the season with a proper quadriceps harm. Crew docs cleared him to play however Leonard didn’t really feel prepared. For the final 5 seasons, Leonard has been with the LA Clippers. He’s performed in over 60+ video games only one time for LA.
Moreover, he missed your entire 2021-22 season as a consequence of an ACL harm. It’s been an ongoing wrestle for the two-time NBA champion to remain wholesome within the later stage of his profession. Leonard is simply 33 however the accidents have taken a toll on him. The previous first-round decide had been working onerous this offseason to strengthen his knee. Studies say that his surgically ready proper knee saved him out of the final three video games of the Clippers’ postseason. It was solely till about two weeks in the past that his knee lastly felt in a “impartial state.” Whereas Leonard wished to symbolize his nation, the Clippers, and Crew USA felt it was in his greatest curiosity to not play.
An replace on Kawhi Leonard from the USA Basketball Males’s Nationwide Crew. pic.twitter.com/84TjYpc90i
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 10, 2024
Now that Leonard is not a part of the 12-man roster, Crew USA must discover a alternative. In accordance with ESPN’s Marc J. Spears, Boston’s Derrick White can be changing Kawhi Leonard for Crew USA this summer time. White is coming off an NBA championship with the Celtics in 2024. Moreover, White signed a four-year, $118 million extension this offseason. He’ll have the prospect so as to add an Olympic gold medal to his resume.
