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Kawhi Leonard was one of many 12 stars shortlisted to play for the US Males’s Basketball Group within the upcoming Paris Olympics. Nonetheless, the Los Angeles Clippers star withdrew his participation after two group practices. Speculations prompted about what led to Leonard’s departure from the group. Some believed that the Clippers had a hand in his exit. Nonetheless, Lawrence Frank has come ahead to clear the air.
In a press convention, the Los Angeles Clippers‘ President of Basketball Operations revealed they performed no half in Leonard’s exit from Group USA. Per Frank, the franchise needed the famous person ahead to play in Paris and is upset about his withdrawal. He stated,
“It was USAB’s name and I used to be, fairly frankly, very upset with the choice. Kawhi needed to play, we needed him to play. I used to be there for the primary two practices and he seemed superb.I wasn’t for the third apply the place, in the end, that was the purpose the place they determined to go in a unique course…I actually want that they’d given Kawhi extra time.”
Frank added that Leonard had labored tirelessly to make sure he was match sufficient to make the group and fly to Paris to symbolize the nation. Nonetheless, Group USA’s management group determined to chop him from the roster, a lot to his and the Clippers’ disappointment.
When information broke about Leonard’s withdrawal, The Athletic’s Sham Charania reported that Group USA had considerations in regards to the ahead’s knee points and claimed the Clippers additionally had a hand in his exit from the group. He wrote,
“The Clippers and the NBA have been additionally involved Leonard might do additional harm to his knee this summer time and put his standing for the beginning of the common season in jeopardy, when the Clippers open their $2 billion Intuit Dome Area.”
Nonetheless, Frank’s admission suggests they weren’t too involved in regards to the veteran’s knee damage, which pressured him to overlook the group’s last eight common season video games and 4 of their six playoff video games. Whereas he’s upset about Leonard withdrawing from Group USA, the silver lining is that the ahead can relaxation and get well earlier than training camp commences.
Leonard is below elevated strain to carry out subsequent season. Paul George’s exit from the Clippers has positioned the accountability of carrying their marketing campaign on his shoulders. If the two-time Finals MVP is sidelined for an prolonged interval, the franchise’s debut season of their new residence would doubtless be an enormous disappointment.
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