James Harden's Statement on Kawhi Leonard's Health is Everything Fans Wanted

Los Angeles Clippers star James Harden's statement on Kawhi Leonard's health is exactly what fans want to hear

Jan 22, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; LA Clippers guard James Harden (left) and forward Kawhi Leonard (right) during the second quarter against the Boston Celtics at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images | Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Clippers will have a lot of attention on them this upcoming NBA season, and all of it isn't regarding the ongoing investigation into Kawhi Leonard and Aspiration. Coming off a 50-win season where nobody even expected the Clippers to be in the playoffs, they defied the odds and still managed to improve their roster over the offseason.

Adding players like Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, Brook Lopez, and John Collins to their core, with Norman Powell being the only major loss, the Clippers have one of the best rosters on paper in the NBA. Regardless, it all comes down to the play of James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, as the 2018 MVP recently shared some injury news about Leonard that should excite Clippers fans.

James Harden's Statement On Kawhi Leonard's Health

James Harden on Kawhi Leonard:

“He looks season form. He’s been putting the work in all summer. He’s been aggressive. He looks like Kawhi. Which is beneficial for our team. It’s always that moment, ‘When Kawhi’s coming back?’ Or whatever the case may be. He’s here. He looks… pic.twitter.com/SYxhGZhavM

— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) October 4, 2025

“He looks season form," Harden told reporters on Saturday. "He’s been putting the work in all summer. He’s been aggressive. He looks like Kawhi. Which is beneficial for our team. It’s always that moment, ‘When Kawhi’s coming back?’ Or whatever the case may be. He’s here. He looks really, really good. And our team looks really, really good.”

Leonard has been a far cry from the standard of health in the NBA, as he's appeared in more than 60 games just once in his tenure with the Clippers. However, encouraging signs at the end of last season indicate Leonard still has what it takes to be a top option on a championship-caliber team.

KAWHI LEONARD WINS IT IN OVERTIME SURROUNDED BY ALL FIVE DEFENDERS 🚨#TissotBuzzerBeater#YourTimeDefinesYourGreatness pic.twitter.com/tJndzNYx1u

— NBA (@NBA) March 10, 2025

In his final 10 games of last regular season, Leonard averaged 26.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while leading the team to a 9-1 record. Factor in the stellar shooting splits, Leonard looked like the version of himself that led the Toronto Raptors to an NBA Finals victory.

How Does Leonard Affect The Clippers' Ceiling?

The simple answer is if Leonard is healthy, alongside the rest of the Clippers heading into the postseason, they can't be counted out of any series in the Western Conference. While they lost to the Denver Nuggets in seven games last year, they now have so much more depth and two quality defensive bigs to limit Nikola Jokic.

Kawhi Leonard 39 points on 15/19 pic.twitter.com/6dUhlw159c

— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) April 22, 2025

The OKC Thunder are obviously still viewed as the top team to dethrone in the Western Conference, but the Clippers' combination of quality defenders and offensive options should allow them to go toe-to-toe with the reigning champs.

In other words, it all seems like the Clippers should be legit title contenders if they enter the 2026 postseason with a clean bill of health.