Kawhi Leonard's Knee Injury Finally Revealed - Out With Surgery
Kawhi Leonard's mysterious knee injury has finally been revealed. The LA Clippers have announced Leonard suffered a partially torn ACL, and underwent successful surgery.
The Clippers have announced there is no timetable for Kawhi Leonard's return.
Leonard's injury has been as mysterious on the inside, as it's looked on the outside. Sources revealed to AllClippers that he initially told the team that he suffered an ACL Sprain before Game 5 against the Utah Jazz. Kawhi thought he was okay and was actually scheduled to play in Game 5.
Here's a timeline of what things looked like:
June 14: Kawhi Leonard tells the team privately, and the media publicly that he's "all good."
June 15: Kawhi Leonard travels with the team, and is listed as available to play.
June 15: Kawhi Leonard reveals to his teammates that he's out of the Western Conference Semifinals with an ACL Sprain. There's no word on him being out for the rest of the playoffs.
The rest of June: Kawhi Leonard tries to rehab his knee throughout the playoffs. As it starts taking longer, some within the organization start thinking it may be a partially torn ACL.
Unfortunately for Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers, he ultimately needed surgery. His knee wasn't healing through pure rehab, and now he may miss a good portion of the 2021-22 season. There's no timetable for when he will return, so there's no real clear date on how much of the 2021-22 season Leonard will miss.
Hopefully, Kawhi Leonard can return to form by next season. He has a $36M player option for the 2021-22 season.
