Clippers Star Shares His Desire To Play For Team USA
Last month, Team USA finished fourth in the FIBA World Cup and left the tournament empty-handed, as they finished with two straight losses, which prevented them from winning any medals.
The country didn’t have its best players on its roster, but most still expected them to win the gold medal, so it was a very disappointing showing and perhaps even a failure.
In order to rectify things, a number of NBA stars and superstars are reportedly ready to commit to playing for Team USA next summer in the Olympic games in Paris.
One of those stars is Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers, per Tomer Azarly via NBACentral.
Kawhi Leonard says he wants to play for Team USA ?
(Via @TomerAzarly ) pic.twitter.com/d88qvp8xnD
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 2, 2023
When Leonard is healthy, he is still one of the game’s best two-way players, and he has the ability to drop 25-30 points while harassing the other team’s most potent wing on the defensive end.
But health is his big issue, as he hasn’t played in over 60 games in a season since the 2016-17 campaign.
He missed part of the 2021 playoffs and all of the 2021-22 season with a partially torn ACL in his right knee, and he sat out the last three games of last season’s playoffs with a torn meniscus in that same knee.
Leonard has never played for Team USA in any type of international competition, and his presence in next year’s Summer Olympics would certainly be a boon to the squad’s chances of winning the gold medal.
Some may feel he should skip the Olympics as a concession to his health, but perhaps Leonard doesn’t feel that way.
Read More: Clippers Star Shares His Desire To Play For Team USA