Kawhi Leonard's Injury Management Reportedly Caused Clippers Staff 'Extreme Angst'

There was a "schism" between Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers medical staff amid the injuries that limited Leonard to playing in fewer than half of the Clippers' games over the last six seasons, Baxter Holmes reported Wednesday for ESPN.

One source told Holmes about Leonard, "He was very separate from [the Clippers'] staff."

A former Clippers staff member meanwhile told Holmes, "It caused extreme angst within the medical department. It was like the Clippers' medical staff wasn't really allowed to touch Kawhi ever."

Holmes reported that one of the terms requested by Leonard's camp, led by his uncle Dennis Robertson, before he signed with the team in 2019 was that the Clippers "say nothing unless absolutely necessary" about their star and his health.

Leonard came to Los Angeles after a one-year stint with the Toronto Raptors that resulted in the franchise's first NBA title.

According to Holmes, the Clippers were aware that Leonard's relationship with the Spurs had deteriorated in part because of how the team publicly described his injuries. ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Michael C. Wright reported in 2018 that Leonard's camp had disagreed with the team's identification of the injury that sidelined him for almost the entirety of the 2017-18 season.

Leonard's health and the Clippers' reporting of his injuries has since come into question multiple times during his tenure in Los Angeles, mostly recently when he stepped away from Team USA after training camp for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

After uncertainty surrounding Leonard's health throughout the offseason, the Clippers repeatedly told reporters in the weeks leading up to the 2024-25 season that his availability was uncertain.

Head coach Ty Lue then confirmed six days before the season opener that Leonard would be sidelined indefinitely. Leonard ultimately did not make his Clippers debut until Jan. 4.

The Clippers came under further scrutiny last October when former staffer Randy Shelton sued the team for wrongful termination while claiming the team had both mishandled Leonard's recovery and failed to report all of his injuries. The team denied the allegations and sought arbitration.

The NBA is currently investigating the Clippers after journalist Pablo Torre reported that Leonard had signed an endorsement deal with a now-bankrupt company in which Clippers governor Steve Ballmer was a top investor in an alleged attempt at salary cap circumvention.

The Clippers said in a statement shared with Holmes that Leonard had "battled injuries, which have led to undue scrutiny and criticism, but we appreciate his resilience and relentless work ethic."

"We're grateful he is part of our team and look forward to the start of training camp," the Clippers said to Holmes.

Leonard turned 34 in May. He currently has two seasons remaining on a contract set to pay him $50 million next season, per Spotrac.