Injured Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard pulls out of Olympics
Los Angeles Clippers star and Team USA forward Kawhi Leonard will not play in the upcoming Olympics in Paris, officials said Wednesday.
The 33-year-old Leonard had been hobbling with an injured knee during L.A.’s first-round playoff loss to the eventual Western Conference-champion Dallas Mavericks.
“The organization and the Clippers determined it’s in Leonard’s best interest to spend the rest of the summer preparing for the upcoming season,” according to a statement from USA Basketball.
He played in Games 2 and 3 of the best-of-7 series won, 4-2, by Dallas.
It wasn’t immediately clear who’d replace Leonard on the roster but Boston Celtics guard Derrick White appears to be a likely candidate.
Team USA already has two other members of the championship Celtics on team on this squad, Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday.
The star-studded American team, featuring all-time NBA scoring leader LeBron James and 3-point shooing great Steph Curry, is set to open Olympic play on July 28 against Serbia in Lille.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
