“NO BUSINESS”: Kawhi Leonard’s Place in Workforce USA Questioned Days After Steve Kerr’s Harm Replace on 2x NBA Champ

The luggage are packed, and the celebrities are able to characterize Workforce USA within the Paris Olympics 2024. Steph Curry, LeBron James, and others flaunt their nation’s jerseys with full delight, devoted to bringing house a Gold medal. However amidst the merriment got here a bit of disheartening information – Los Angeles Clippers’ small ahead Kawhi Leonard‘s questionable status because of his knee inflammation.

Truly, it did derail quite a lot of plans and hopes for Steve Kerr. But this isn’t the primary time Leonard has confronted an damage inflicting him to be in a questionable place.  Leonard missed a couple of video games to get his knee surgically changed earlier. He struggled in no matter variety of video games he performed, lacking majority of the playoffs since he couldn’t participate in any contact basketball or on-court work. The disappointments didn’t finish there, frightening Stephen A. Smith to return out and lash out at him on the newest episode of his present on YouTube.

“You’re the Los Angeles Clippers and the perpetually injured Kawhi Leonard, who has no business being on Team USA by the way,” stated Smith. “NO BUSINESS, NO BUSINESS being on Team USA. Not when you…. he’ll get injured flying to Paris. HELL NO. HELL NO.”

Smith’s disapproval began with Klay Thompson’s commerce to the Dallas Mavericks after a 13-year stint with the Golden State Warriors. He highlighted a reported commerce dialogue between the Warriors and the LA Clippers that may have despatched each Thompson and Andrew Wiggins/Jonathon Kuminga to the crew in trade for Paul George. With the identical not bearing fruit and the Clippers shedding Paul George to the 76ers anyway, the sportscaster took a shot on the franchise and used it to focus on his disapproval of Kawhi Leonard.

His quips adopted, “And then you turn around, and you sign James Harden. 2 years, $70 million. Now, Paul George had already made it clear that he didn’t like his style of play since James Harden arrived, even though he got nothing against him personally. So, you keep, you invest in Kawhi Leonard, the perpetually injured Kawhi Leonard, thereby compromising your vault at the expense of Paul George”. 

“You look at Paul George, and you’re going to let him walk out the door for nothing. You don’t even work out a sign and trade. Clippers, this is bad!” To be sincere, Stephen A. isn’t fallacious. He feels Steve Ballmer isn’t doing justice to the Clippers as he’s “relying on a guy that will be sitting on a bench, and the street closed for you for more than half the time”. 

Nonetheless harsh, Smith’s remarks are available after Steve Kerr gave an replace on Kawhil Leonard’s standing for the Olympics. “We’ve been in communication constantly. So we expect all 12 guys to be ready to roll.” Kerr’s response was not only for Leonard, but additionally for Tyrese Haliburton and Joel Embiid. Despite the fact that all of the gamers have been declared wholesome, Stephen A. Smith directed his criticism in direction of a sole particular person. Sadly, this isn’t the primary time that the 56-year-old has chosen to function a critic for the Clippers’ participant.

Stephen A. Smith known as the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George partnership a “colossal failure”

By the point Kawhi Leonard joined the LA Clippers in 2019, he was already a two-time NBA champion and a two-time Finals MVP. By forming a partnership alongside Paul George, who joined the franchise in the identical 12 months as properly, the duo regarded to usher in a brand new period for the Clippers. Nonetheless, after George’s latest commerce to the Philadelphia 76ers, Smith didn’t maintain again in giving his sincere but brutal opinion concerning the five-year stint.

Throughout a latest phase of ‘First Take’, with NFL legend Shannon Sharpe becoming a member of in as co-host, the 56-year-old said “I think the way it ended, punctuated how big of a colossal failure it was”. He took a particular shot at Kawhi Leonard by stating, “He basically blackmailed the Los Angeles Clippers. He (Leonard) said, ‘You want me? I need you to trade the farm. Do all of this to get Paul George. Otherwise, I’m going to play with LeBron James and Anthony Davis in Los Angeles.’ That’s what he did.” Smith didn’t respect the truth that the crew didn’t make it to the Convention Semifinals throughout 4 of the final 5 seasons, and that Leonard was absent more often than not throughout that one occasion when the Clippers did go far within the playoffs.

“Kawhi Leonard is perpetually injured, end up missing 60% of your playoff games, he doesn’t do a damn thing to promote the franchise or the market…” Smith continued.

Leonard’s place as a ahead might be important for Workforce USA as they appear to safe their fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal. With Steve Kerr’s assurance, there could also be an excellent probability that the participant might find yourself defying the expectations that Stephen A. Smith might have supposedly positioned on him.

Earlier than leaving, you’ll want to try some insights that Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, shared concerning the Lakers legend’s notorious feud with the late Kobe Bryant.