Paul George Says Skeptics of Kawhi Leonard's Knee Injury Are Attacking His Character

The Los Angeles Clippers are on the brink of elimination from the NBA playoffs.

The Phoenix Suns can eliminate the Clippers from title contention on Tuesday with a Game 5 win at Footprint Center, and they're favored to clinch a berth in the second round because of injuries to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

George has missed the entire series with a knee injury, and Leonard suffered a knee injury just two games into the first round. He missed Games 3 and 4 before being ruled out for Game 5.

Speaking with the media prior to Tuesday's Game 5, George said he believes skeptics of Leonard's knee injury are attacking his character.

"People think that he's out 'cause he doesn't want to play. ... I think it just attacks his character, where people don't understand. He'll play through it. It's got to be a reason why he's out," George told reporters.

Leonard has been ripped by NBA fans for sitting out a potential season-ending Game 5 against the Suns. However, it should be noted that Leonard and the Clippers have been cautious with any knee ailments after he missed the entire 2021-22 season with a torn ACL.

The 31-year-old only appeared in 52 regular-season games this year and often sat out the second half of back-to-backs as part of load management.

Additionally, with the Clippers down 3-1 in the series, it's hard to imagine the team—even with Leonard and George in the lineup—would be able to win four straight games against a Suns team that includes Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Chris Paul firing on all cylinders.

That said, it's no surprise Clippers fans are disappointed with the star duo.

L.A. went all-in for Leonard and George ahead of the 2019-20 campaign, and the franchise has yet to to fulfill expectations.

During the duo's first season, the Clippers were eliminated from the playoffs in the Western Conference Semifinals. They fell to the Suns in the Western Conference Finals in 2021, missed the postseason entirely in 2022 and are now on the verge of a first-round exit in 2023.

Leonard, 31, and George, who turns 33 on May 2, are under contract with the Clippers next season on deals worth $45.6 million each. They each hold player options for the 2024-25 campaign worth $48.8 million.

If both fail to stay healthy over the next two seasons, it's very possible the Clippers will move on and enter some sort of rebuild in hopes of building a true title contender.