Kawhi Leonard has been out for a full season due to an ACL injury. Thankfully, Leonard will be returning to the floor on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. Leonard has worked incredibly hard during the offseason, and his rehab has led him to this point. While he may engage in load management, there is no denying that the Clippers are about to be a better team.
Leonard has gone through lengthy injury stints before. For instance, Leonard was involved in a dramatic standoff with the Spurs which eventually led to a trade to the Toronto Raptors. The Spurs were heavily criticized for botching Kawhi's injury, and even Leonard is taking some shots at the team.
While speaking to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk, Leonard made it clear that this injury rehab was better than his last one, as the team actually supported him. Based on his phrasing, you can tell he still has the Spurs at the top of his mind.
Per Youngmisuk:
“Kawhi on how different it is returning off a long layoff this season compared to his comeback with Toronto. He says his rehab process is ‘very different’ this time than in San Antonio before Toronto trade because of ‘having the team behind my back… they want what’s best for me.'”
Coming back from an ACL injury is no easy task, so it will be interesting to see how Kawhi manages it all.
Stay tuned to HNHH for more news from around the NBA.
[Via]