A well-produced yet mysterious video appeared on social media on December 27, featuring LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard.
The video shows Leonard arriving at a lake. He`s listening to a voicemail from someone urging him to address various responsibilities like his recovery, family matters, and media engagements. Visibly interrupted in his peaceful escape, he purses his lips and looks down at his phone.
As the voicemail continues, he gets out of his car and notices a fisherman. He walks towards the man.
Sitting next to a white bucket holding a basketball and a small stereo, the man casts his line into the water`s ripples.
“We`ve got exciting news coming out of Los Angeles,” the radio hums softly. The fisherman turns up the volume.
“Kawhi Leonard looks to be returning to the court pretty soon. Could be great…”
“I knew I could find you here,” Leonard says to the fisherman. “You catch anything?”
Beneath a bucket hat, the fisherman is revealed to be another version of Leonard. He replies, “Nah, not yet. There`s been good days. There`s been bad days. But I keep coming back.”
“It`s the nature of the game,” he adds.
This type of advertisement is designed to create buzz, and this one certainly reminded people that Leonard was still present, still working, and possibly nearing a return after missing nearly four months due to his latest right knee injury.
However, after numerous comebacks from multiple injuries during his six years with the Clippers, it was hard to gauge the true state of Leonard`s health or predict the longevity of any return.
A week later, Leonard did make his comeback. In the 37 games he played until the end of the season, the Clippers achieved a 26-11 record – a 58-win pace – climbing from sixth place in the competitive Western Conference to tie for the third-best record. During this stretch, Leonard averaged 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and nearly 2 steals, shooting 41% from three-point range.
He has been dynamic, and even more so through the first two games of the playoffs.
His performance in LA`s 105-102 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series evoked memories of his efficient, dominant displays during the Toronto Raptors` 2019 championship run.
He connected on almost every shot he attempted, scoring 39 points on 15-for-19 shooting, even when contested by the swarming Nuggets defense.
“He made tough shots,” said Denver star Nikola Jokic about Leonard. “But are they really tough shots for him, a guy who`s been making those for such a long time?”
Across the first two games of this series, Leonard is averaging 30.5 points with an impressive 71% shooting from the field (24-for-34), including 50% from beyond the arc (5-for-10). His defensive impact has been equally significant. In Game 1, he limited opponents he was primarily guarding to 2-of-5 shooting (40%). In Game 2, that figure dropped to 2-of-12 (16.7%).
This level of play offers a glimpse of the dominant force the Clippers believed they were acquiring six years ago.
Yet, he has participated in only 266 out of a possible 492 regular-season games (54%) since joining the team in one of the most notable free agent signings in recent NBA history.
He has seemed to suffer injuries at the most critical junctures. Right after periods of brilliant play that validated the Clippers` vision for the team, and precisely at the most crucial time of the year – the playoffs – when he has historically performed at his peak.
In 2021, he tore an ACL during a second-round series against the Utah Jazz. Although LA managed to finish that series without him, they lacked the necessary firepower to overcome the Phoenix Suns in the conference finals. In 2023, he suffered a torn meniscus in the first round. Last season, he attempted to play in LA`s first-round loss to the Dallas Mavericks, but his knee inflammation didn`t respond to treatment, forcing the team to sideline him.
These recurring injuries, combined with his and the Clippers` stringent and often secretive load management and rehabilitation processes, have largely defined his recent narrative: his career has become one of the greatest “what-ifs” in contemporary league history.
Kawhi Leonard returned on January 4th, and for the rest of the season`s 37 games, he showcased the kind of dominance he was once known for – illustrating the player he still is.
And when Paul George departed as a free agent last summer, it seemed like the conclusion to that story.
However, the video Leonard shared on December 27th introduced an entirely different perspective. One that people might not have been prepared to fully accept at the time, or honestly, one that the Clippers and their fanbase might still be hesitant to fully embrace, even now.
“I keep coming back,” Leonard stated in the video.
It`s a simple statement, yet profoundly meaningful. And it`s something Leonard`s teammate James Harden believes he deserves more recognition for. “He loves to hoop,” Harden commented.
Harden explained that if Leonard didn`t possess that passion, he wouldn`t subject himself to the countless hours of rehabilitation, strengthening, and conditioning required to recover from the types of injuries he has faced over the years.
“I feel like that about everybody that`s in the league that goes through something that is out of their hands, where they can`t control, it`s always the negative,” Harden said. “That`s something we got to live with, I guess, in the world. But as for me, being close to him every single day and seeing the work that he puts in, you appreciate him.”
That`s the narrative Clippers coach Tyronn Lue hopes people recognize now that Leonard has remarkably returned to peak physical condition, perfectly timed for a playoff run.
“This is what Kawhi lives for,” Lue stated. “He`s healthy for the playoffs, and we know when we got a healthy Kawhi, we can win any series.”
Naturally, there`s no guarantee how long Leonard can sustain this. He and the Clippers have approached his buildup this season with diligence and discipline, completely disregarding any public or private pressure for him to return sooner from an offseason cleanup surgery.
This approach stands in direct contrast to last season, when the Clippers and Leonard faced pressure from the league`s new player participation policy and the 65-game minimum for league awards.
This year, the sole objective was to get him healthy and in peak condition for a playoff run by the end of the season. He sat out the first four months, gradually rebuilding strength and meeting predetermined benchmarks before attempting more demanding activities.
Upon his eventual return in early January, the Clippers implemented strict minute restrictions, even keeping him out of crucial closing lineups. While this might seem unclear or frustrating to outside observers, the nature of Leonard`s knee problems necessitates it. At this point, it`s not one single injury he`s recovering from – it`s the cumulative effect of all of them. Each injury leaves inflammation and scar tissue, resulting in a cumulative impact rather than an acute one.
He experiences “good days and bad days,” as he mentions in the video. Nothing about his knees is predictable.
“It`s the nature of the game,” he observes. Leonard has learned to coexist with that uncertainty. “I`m just happy to be able to move,” he commented after Game 2. The challenge for everyone else is accepting that reality as well.
“I sat and watched these playoff games and series the past two years,” Leonard reflected. “So being able to be front-line out there, it just feels good for me no matter which way the game goes. That`s what I`m taking pride in. I just want to be out there and play and be on the front line with my team.”
A week after posting the initial video by the lake, Leonard released a second part.
Carrying a tackle box and a fishing rod, he walks towards the water`s edge. Birds are flying and chirping overhead. The stereo is playing.
“When is he going to play? … Is he really hurt? What`s going on here?” the stereo asks.
“You hear them?” Leonard asks, referencing the sounds. “They like to come and watch the fun – and chirp.”
“But when I show up,” he concludes, “they always quiet.”
