Kawhi Leonard’s struggles with injuries have been well-documented, and they have undeniably hampered his team’’s ceiling. The past two playoffs are prime examples, where Leonard only played a combined four games.
Of course, there’s no question that Leonard can compete with the best and carry his team, but as the saying goes, availability is the best ability. In this regard, Leonard struggles. Additionally, he gets major flak for frequently sitting out games due to load management.
Many people, including popular NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith, are frustrated with Leonard frequently being on the sidelines because of injuries. Not one to mince words, Smith has gone so far as to call him the worst superstar of all time.
“This is not a conversation about his ability when healthy… I could make a case this is the worst superstar in the history of sports,” Smith said. “He is a nightmare. You’re talking about the first four years of his time with the Clippers, he’s averaged 40.3 games a season. 40.3! He played 68 games this past year and then again he wasn’t available in the playoffs. Did you know Kawhi Leonard hasn’t been available for 15 of the last 19 Clippers playoff games?”
.@stephenasmith goes off on Kawhi Leonard
“This is not a conversation about his ability when healthy. … I can make a case this is the worst superstar in the history of sports. He is a nightmare.” pic.twitter.com/5yJpxrUxpA
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 30, 2024
