Clippers' Kawhi Leonard's 'Body Feels Great' After Missing 15 Months with Injury

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard said it was a "great experience" to play basketball again after sitting out nearly 500 days while recovering from a partially torn ACL.

The five-time NBA All-Star tallied 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals in 16 minutes as part of the Clips' 102-97 preseason win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.

"The body feels good," Leonard told reporters. "Obviously, I am not going to be playing 35 minutes, 38 minutes to start, so it is going to be a little shaky early, probably. But like I said, it is a journey, it's a process, and that is what I am about."

Leonard last played in June 2021, when he suffered the knee injury during a playoff series against the Utah Jazz. He missed the entire 2021-22 season.

"It was great," he said. "Just being able to put all that hard work that I did throughout the, 14, 16 months, just able to put it to test and playing against NBA talent, it was good. Just being out there with the guys and talking, I missed it. It was a great experience for me."

Despite the long layoff, the 31-year-old forward said there wasn't any more emotion Monday night than there would be in a typical game situation.

"It was funny because PG [Paul George] asked me if I had the bubbles before the game, like [in] the stomach," Leonard said. "I am like, nah. There might be a little [chicken] wing in there floating around. [But] I felt the same way as if I approached any other game today."

L.A. posted a 42-40 record last season while getting just 31 appearances from George, who suffered a torn UCL, and none from Leonard, but it was eliminated in the play-in round after back-to-back loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans.

Now, with the roster mostly back to full strength, the Clippers will be expected to one again emerge as a championship contender.

It may take awhile for the star-studded roster to get up to full speed, though. Head coach Tyronn Lue discussed what he saw from Leonard on Monday night.

"Offensively, Kawhi, I thought he got a little tired," Lue said. "But he got some shots he normally makes. But just seeing him out there on the floor just makes a big difference for our team."

In addition, point guard John Wall is also returning after sitting out all of last season as part of a mutual agreement with the rebuilding Houston Rockets.

So the Clippers should be a far more dangerous team come playoff time than they will be when the regular season tips off, especially if they can avoid the injury bug this year.

L.A. continues its preseason schedule Sunday against the Wolves.