Kawhi Leonard has long been one of the NBA’s most respected players, with some of the league’s biggest stars calling him a joy to play alongside. LeBron James, for one, had hoped to team up with Leonard on Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, only for the two-time champion to miss out due to injury. It was a topic James touched on after the Lakers’ win over the Clippers on Friday.
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James scored 13 points in the matchup against Leonard, who was dominant throughout. Leonard poured in 31 points in as many minutes, but the Clippers could not get over the final hurdle as he left the game midway. Regardless of the result, James could only marvel at his performance.
The King described Leonard as one of the best to ever do it, a claim that is hard to dispute when it comes to sheer ability. However, staying healthy has been a recurring issue and one that inevitably surfaces in discussions about his legacy. It is something that makes James sad.
“Kawhi is awesome man,” he said on Sportsnet post-game. “He’s one of the best players ever and I could care less about the injuries.”
James then admitted that Leonard’s withdrawal from the Paris Olympics camp was also unfortunate. “I was disappointed about the 2024 Olympic team. I was looking forward to spending some time with him,” he stated.
Lebron:
“Kawhi is awesome man. He’s one of the best players ever and I could care less about the injuries. I was like disappointed on the 2024 Olympic team…(I was) looking forward to spending some time with him. I could speak about him all night” pic.twitter.com/fRc3HncFrA
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) February 21, 2026
That was truly something that the basketball community as a whole laments. The best in the NBA, including James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant assembled to get Gold for the 2024 Games. Having Leonard on that roster would only have made the ordeal sweeter. Sadly, fitness concerns, with his recurring knee issues in particular, forced him to bid adieu to standing on the podium in France.
Even against the Lakers on Friday, Leonard injured himself, with the official report for now pointing towards a “left ankle soreness”. It’s unclear whether the ex-Raptor has another major injury or will just spend a small amount of time away from action.
