Kawhi Leonard was ready to return to action after being sidelined for a year due to injury, but he had to miss out on Los Angeles Clippers‘ game against the Oklahoma City Thunder back in October after feeling discomfort while warming up before the duel.
It took him a while to recover and 11 games later he returned to the court as a starter to feature for 25 minutes in his team’s 96-91 win over the Detroit Pistons.
Leonard didn’t shine in attack, recording just six points, but he was key to the Clippers‘ victory, as his team had a remarkable +26 with him on court.
This is Leonard. A player who simply disappears without anyone knowing whether he had a surgery or if he has already recovered. He simply reappears out of nowhere and helps his team grab a win.
Leonard returns
“It was good to be back,” Leonard said.
“I felt good. It’s going to be a long journey. ACL recovery isn’t just one year. It’s a two-year process.”
Reggie Jackson, who scored 23 points to lead Clippers to the win, discussed about the boost in morale the team received with Leonard’s comeback.
“I just try to remind him that he’s Kawhi Leonard,” said Jackson.
“That he’s special. He’s one of the best to ever play his game, and we got the utmost confidence in him no matter what the result was. We had utmost confidence in him no matter what his stat line said at the time.
“I don’t care if he made his shots. I don’t care if he turned it over. He is who he is for a reason, and we’re gonna ride with him in the fourth.”
NBA star Kevin Durant was also full of praise for the Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard.
“He’s an All-Time great,” Durant noted.
“The league is better when Kawhi Leonard is playing. I would love to see him back soon.”
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