NBA
Kawhi Leonard Targeting Return On Jan. 4 Against Hawks
Vivek Jacob is a freelance sports writer with over seven years experience. During this time, he has written for outlets including The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Sportsnet, CBC, and Complex. Primarily covering the NBA, Vivek also covers tennis, soccer, and cricket.
Get to know Vivek Jacob betterPublished27 Dec 2024
Kawhi Leonard will reportedly make his return to NBA action on Saturday, Jan. 4 when the Los Angeles Clippers host the Atlanta Hawks, per Law Murray of The Athletic.
The two-time Finals MVP last played April 26 during Game 3 of the first round against the Dallas Mavericks.
He has yet to play this season due to inflammation in his right knee but returned to practice for the first time on Dec. 10 and has been ramping up since.
There is indeed a target date for Kawhi Leonard: Saturday, January 4 at Intuit Dome, when LA Clippers host Atlanta Hawks, sources tell @TheAthletic
— Law Murray ⚛️ (@LawMurrayTheNU) December 28, 2024
Leonard Teases Return On Social Media
Speculation first built when a New Balance commercial on social media featuring Leonard with commentary that included, “We got exciting news coming out of Los Angeles, Kawhi Leonard looks to be returning to the court pretty soon.”
The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of understanding 🖐🏾#kawhileonard #KL2 pic.twitter.com/CSGl4HqY9T
— Kawhi Leonard (@Way2Whi) December 27, 2024
In the video, Leonard himself says, “There’s been good days, there’s been bad days, but I keep coming back. It’s the nature of the game.”
Clippers Keeping Head Above Water
Many anticipated that the “other” Los Angeles team would struggle to stay afloat in the mighty Western Conference after Paul George’s offseason departure and the anticipated absence of Leonard.
Instead, James Harden has teamed with Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac to enjoy excellent seasons, while head coach Ty Lue has the Clippers sporting the league’s sixth-best defensive rating. Los Angeles stands with its chin up at a very respectable 17-13 (seventh in the West), especially considering the low expectations coming in.
At his best, Leonard is one of the top two-way players in basketball, but it remains to be seen not only if he still has that level in him but how frequently he can go full tilt.
Availability has been Leonard’s biggest issue since joining the Clippers, missing 210 out of 467 games. He sat out the entire 2021-22 season due to a torn ACL. As a member of the Clippers, the star wing is averaging 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
