The Los Angeles Clippers got some positive news regarding the health status of Kawhi Leonard ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Head coach of USA Basketball Steve Kerr spoke with members of the media in during the start of camp, confirming that Leonard is healthy and participating in early July's training camp, according to multiple reports.

Needless to say, fans of the LA Clippers are not happy. But are they right to be upset?

Kawhi Leonard Playing For Team USA

Kawhi Leonard had a chance to be a part of Team USA's roster that competed for the FIBA World Cup, but said he couldn't due to prior obligations. He also said he would commit to playing for Team USA in the Olympics if chosen.

Prior to being named to the 2024 Olympic team, Leonard had zero international playing experience with the National team. Despite wanting to play, the timing of international play never aligned with his ability to play, whether it was due to injury or a busy offseason.

Leonard was the final player named to Team USA's 12-man roster in April, despite dealing with inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee at the time. He's worked tirelessly over the last few weeks to get back on the court, and there have been reports that he's greatly impressed

Head coach Steve Kerr says he's fully participated in both days of practice so far with nothing to indicate a setback.

The biggest tests will be the games. Kawhi Leonard and Team USA face off against Canada on July 10th in Las Vegas. They then travel to Abu Dhabi to take on Australia on July 15th and Serbia on July 17th. They'll take on South Sudan on July 20th and Germany on July 22nd, both of which will be in London. Those will be the five exhibition games Team USA will play before the Group Phase begins with a matchup against Serbia on July 28th.

Leonard won't be expected to play a big role on this team, but his minutes will be significant with the shorter games and the importance of possessions increasing.

For Leonard, it's a dream come true and he should 100 percent play for the Gold Medal if he's physically able to. There is, however, the other side to it.

Fans Have A Right To Be Upset

Kawhi Leonard is healthy enough to play with the Olympic team this summer, which is clearly a once in a lifetime opportunity. However, in recent weeks, fans have expressed their frustrations that Leonard is available for play for these Olympic Games, but not for the Clippers in the playoffs.

In fact, Leonard has been affected by injury in four consecutive postseasons. He suffered the torn ACL during the 2021 playoffs, and the rehab also took him out of any availability for the 2022 play-in games which the Clippers lost.

Leonard returned for a strong 2022-23 campaign, but suffered a torn meniscus in Game 1 of the first round series against the Suns. After rehabbing into another strong regular season in 2023-24, Kawhi Leonard suffered from right knee inflammation, forcing him out of the postseason yet again.

So if Leonard is able to suit up and play for Team USA, which is the plan as of right now, his first win in group play will be one more than he'll have at home in Clippers playoff games since 2021.

Fans took to Twitter (also known as X) to express their frustrations at Leonard playing for Team USA despite routinely not being available for his Clippers.

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When asked about his injury history and people's concern for his regular season availability, Kawhi Leonard said he can only control what he can control.

Per Tim Bontemps of ESPN:

“Yeah, but this is just my journey, so whatever … I can't lay out the perfect script for me,” Leonard said. “Last year, I tried to play as much as possible, felt great. And at a certain period of time I couldn't go. I tried the best that I could, but it's just my journey. I don't want to be in a situation that I do be in, but I got to take it for what it is. And a lot of people are watching, supporters or doubters, but I motivate a lot of people.

“So, I got to keep doing what I'm doing and I might be the most known at the time right now, like injury or whatever, but people have, players have worse luck than I have. So just to being able to keep going and keep going is going to motivate the next guy that's watching me. So I'm going to keep going until I can't.”

Clippers fans have been starved for just one healthy postseason since the 2021 postseason showed what Kawhi Leonard can do when he's 100 percent.

In the 11 postseason games he played in before suffering the torn ACL, Kawhi Leonard averaged 30.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 2.1 steals per game on 57.3 percent shooting from the field and 39.3 percent from three.

Fans have a right to be upset for their own team, but they also need to remember that Leonard is a tireless worker always striving to be on the court, so the injuries have been far worse for him to take and recover from than fans.