On December 27, Kawhi Leonard shared a professionally made but puzzling video on social media.
The clip showed the Clippers star driving to a lake, receiving a voicemail urging him to deal with various commitments: recovery, family matters, media appearances. He presses his lips together, glancing at his phone, which is disrupting his peaceful moment.
As the message continues, he exits his car and notices a fisherman, walking towards him.
Near the fisherman, by a white bucket containing a basketball and a small radio, the man casts his line into the water. The radio plays, “Exciting news from Los Angeles… Kawhi Leonard appears likely to return to the court shortly. This could be significant…” The fisherman increases the volume.
“I figured I`d find you here,” Leonard says to the angler. “Caught anything?” The fisherman, wearing a bucket hat, turns out to be another version of Leonard. He replies, “Not yet. Some days are good, some are bad. But I always come back. That`s just how it is.”
This type of advertisement is intended to generate buzz, and it successfully reminded people that Leonard was active, rehabilitating, and potentially nearing a return after missing almost four months with his recent right knee injury. However, given his history of frequent injuries and returns over six seasons with the Clippers, it was hard to be sure about the state of his health or the longevity of his return.
A week later, Leonard indeed came back. Over the remaining 37 games he played, the Clippers achieved a 26-11 record, equivalent to a 58-win pace over a full season. This propelled them from sixth place in the competitive Western Conference to tied for the third-best record. Leonard`s performance was strong, averaging 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and close to 2 steals, shooting 41% from three-point range.
He has been outstanding, particularly in the initial two playoff games. His display in the Clippers` 105-102 victory against the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of the first round evoked memories of his highly effective and impactful play during the Toronto Raptors` 2019 title run. He was incredibly accurate, scoring 39 points on 15-of-19 shooting, finding ways to score despite Denver`s tight defense.
Denver`s star, Nikola Jokic, commented on Leonard`s ability, saying, “He made difficult shots. But for him, someone who has made those shots for so long, are they truly difficult?”
Across the first two games of this series, Leonard is averaging 30.5 points with exceptional shooting efficiency (71% from the field, 24-for-34, including 50% from three, 5-for-10). His defensive impact has been just as significant. As the primary defender, he limited opponents to 2-of-5 shooting (40%) in Game 1 and an impressive 2-of-12 (16.7%) in Game 2.
This level of play is precisely what the Clippers envisioned when they acquired him six years ago. However, since that major free agent move, he has participated in only 266 out of a possible 492 regular-season games, roughly 54%.
His injuries have often struck at the worst possible moments – immediately following periods of exceptional play that fueled the Clippers` hopes, and critically, during the playoffs, when he has traditionally performed at his peak.
Specific instances include a torn ACL in the 2021 second round against the Utah Jazz (the Clippers advanced but lost the conference finals to Phoenix without him), a torn meniscus in the 2023 first round, and last season, attempting to play against the Dallas Mavericks in the first round before knee inflammation forced him out again.
These recurring injuries, combined with the challenging and often private rehabilitation efforts by both Leonard and the Clippers, have defined his tenure. His career path is frequently discussed as one of the significant “what-if” scenarios in recent NBA history.
When Paul George departed as a free agent last summer, it felt like the conclusion of that particular narrative. However, the video Leonard released on December 27 introduced a completely different angle – one that perhaps wasn`t fully accepted then, and that even Clippers fans might still approach with caution today.
“I keep coming back,” Leonard stated in the video. This simple phrase carries deep meaning. His teammate, James Harden, believes Leonard deserves more recognition for this persistence. “He loves to hoop,” Harden commented.
Harden explained that without a genuine passion for the game, Leonard wouldn`t endure the continuous, demanding rehabilitation, strengthening, and conditioning necessary to recover from his history of injuries.
“I feel this way about anyone in the league who experiences uncontrollable setbacks; the focus is often negative,” Harden said. “That`s just something we have to accept, I suppose. But personally, being around him daily and witnessing his dedication, you develop a real appreciation for him.”
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue hopes this perspective is shared, now that Leonard has remarkably regained peak form just in time for the playoffs. “This is what Kawhi works for,” Lue stated. “He`s healthy for the playoffs, and we know that with a healthy Kawhi, we can win any series.”
Naturally, there`s no certainty regarding how long Leonard can sustain this condition. Both he and the Clippers adopted a rigorous and disciplined strategy this season, carefully building up his fitness and resisting all external or internal pressure to rush his return from an offseason procedure.
This contrasted sharply with the previous season, when the league`s new player participation policy and the 65-game minimum for awards created pressure on both Leonard and the team.
This year, the sole objective was to ensure he reached the end of the season healthy and in prime condition for the postseason. He did not play for the first four months, gradually increasing strength and meeting specific targets before progressing further.
Upon his return in early January, the Clippers carefully managed his playing time with strict minute restrictions, sometimes even keeping him out of game-closing lineups. While this approach might appear unclear or frustrating to observers, it is essential due to the complex nature of Leonard`s knee problems. He isn`t recovering from a single injury; it`s the cumulative effect of multiple issues, each leaving inflammation and scar tissue.
As he mentioned in the video, he experiences “good days and bad days.” The condition of his knees is unpredictable. “That`s just how it is,” he remarked, having learned to cope with this uncertainty. Following Game 2, he simply stated, “I`m just happy to be able to move.” The difficulty lies in others accepting this reality as well.
“I`ve been watching these playoff games and series from the sidelines for the past two years,” Leonard commented. “So, being able to be out there on the front line feels great, regardless of the outcome. That`s what matters to me. I just want to play and be with my team.”
A week after the initial lakeside video, Leonard released a second part. Carrying a tackle box and rod, he walks towards the water`s edge. Birds are heard overhead, and the radio is playing commentary like, “When will he play?… Is he truly injured? What`s the situation?” Leonard asks, “Hear them? They enjoy watching and criticizing. But when I appear, they always fall silent.”
