Kawhi Leonard was diagnosed with a torn meniscus following the Los Angeles Clippers' playoff series loss to the Phoenix Suns. The injury update was devastating, and one has to wonder what the future holds for Leonard. Stephen A Smith previously called for Leonard to retire, and the ESPN analyst was back at it on Wednesday. Smith doubled down on his stance after LA's defeat, stating that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer should “force” Kawhi Leonard to retire.
Steve Ballmer and the Los Angeles Clippers should force Kawhi Leonard to retire pic.twitter.com/szyZ4XQr3w
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) April 26, 2023
“Steve Ballmer and the Los Angeles Clippers should force Kawhi Leonard to retire,” Smith shared on Twitter.
In addition to injury concerns, Kawhi Leonard has been dealing with family issues over the past few weeks. Stephen A Smith issued an apology to Leonard for his previous criticisms of the Clippers' star amid those issues, but isn't changing his stance on the situation.
When healthy, Leonard is one of the best players in the NBA. He's a steady offensive threat who offers impressive defensive prowess. Unfortunately, Leonard hasn't been able to stay healthy. The last time Leonard appeared in 6o regular season games was was the 2018-19 season with the Toronto Raptors. Leonard hasn't played in 70 or more regular season games since the 2016-17 campaign with the San Antonio Spurs.
During this past 2022-23 year, Kawhi Leonard played in 52 total games during the regular season. He averaged 23.8 points per game on 51.2 percent field goal shooting to go along with 6.5 rebounds per contest. However, his lack of playing time, especially during the playoffs, certainly impacted the Clippers.
Smith's stance on the situation may seem extreme, but there are no guarantees at the moment in regards to Leonard's NBA future.
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