The LA Clippers are reportedly worried that Kawhi Leonard has injured his right ACL, and he is currently out indefinitely.
This is coming at the worst possible time, considering the Clippers are in the middle of a Western Conference Semifinals series that’s tied up at 2-2.
Luckily, Ty Lue has made it clear that he currently feels optimistic about Kawhi’s chances to return. Keep in mind that being out indefinitely absolutely does not mean that he will for sure be out for the rest of the season.
Kawhi Leonard injury updates
Added November 9th: FS1’s Skip Bayless says he has been informed that Kawhi Leonard will miss the entire season. The LA Clippers have not confirmed this.
Added June 29th: Kawhi Leonard has been listed as a game-time decision to come back for Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, after missing seven straight postseason games. The LA Clippers are down 3-2 in the series.
Added June 29th: Kawhi Leonard has now been downgraded to OUT.
Added July 20th: The LA Clippers announced on July 13th that Kawhi Leonard underwent successful surgery on his partially torn ACL. There is no timetable for his return
Kawhi Leonard injury history
It’s worth taking a look back at Kawhi Leonard’s notable injuries in the past, and remembering what he’s been able to overcome.
Right foot soreness, April 2021
Kawhi Leonard dealt with right foot soreness in April of 2021, forcing him to miss five games. Before this string of games he missed, he missed four games for the same reason just a couple of games earlier.
Bruised leg, February 2021
Leonard missed three games in February of this season with a bruised leg.
Mouth laceration, December 2020
Leonard dealt with a mouth laceration early on in the 2020 season. He missed two games due to the injury and had to wear a protective mask when he returned.
Knee contusion, 2019
Kawhi missed three consecutive games towards the beginning of 2019 due to a knee contusion.
Bruised right hip, December 2018
While with the Toronto Raptors at the time, Kawhi Leonard dealt with a bruised right hip and missed a couple of games for it in the first half of the season.
Left ankle soreness, November 2018
Similarly to when Kawhi had to miss some games due to soreness this season, he faced the same issue early in the 2018-2019 season. That time it was for his left ankle.
Sore quadriceps, January 2018
Kawhi’s season was cut short in 2018. He missed the remaining 38 games of the regular season and the entire 2018 postseason due to a nagging right quadriceps injury that turned season-ending.
Shoulder tear, January 2018
Leonard missed three consecutive games a bit earlier than those games due to a partial tear in his left shoulder.
Sore quadriceps, October 2017
Kawhi missed the first 27 games of 2017 due to sore right quadriceps, the same injury that came back and ended his season later that year.
Ankle injury, May 2017
In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals vs. the Golden State Warriors, Kawhi Leonard landed awkwardly on a closing out Zaza Pachulia after attempting a three-point shot. Many speculated that it was a dirty move for Pachulia as it looked as if he may have done it on purpose. The San Antonio Spurs, who Kawhi Leonard was on at the time, were winning by 21 points in the second half when Leonard got hurt.
They ended up dropping the series four games to none, clearly missing Leonard, who missed the rest of the series.
Hand injury, 2014
Leonard ended up missing 17 total games in 2014 due to a hand injury. He had to get an injection in his right hand, and did eventually return that year.
Metacarpal fracture, 2014
Leonard injured his fourth metacarpal in 2014, missing 14 games. It was his fourth metacarpal (a bone in the hand) that was injured. That bone is easier to break than many others in the hand.
Quad/Knee injury, 2012
Kawhi missed 18 games in the early-to-mid part of the 2012-2013 season with a left quad/knee ailment.
Kawhi isn’t necessarily an ‘injury-prone’ player, however he has dealt with many injuries in his career. That being said, he’s obviously bounced back from all of them. If he comes back this postseason, there’s no reason the same thing can’t happen.