With the recent and unfortunate news regarding Kawhi Leonard‘s injury update leading to an MIA status to start the regular season, former NBA champion and NBA Today panelist Kendrick Perkins went heavy. With Leonard’s return date uncertain, this recurring circumstance continues to interrupt his Hall of Fame career. Listen to what Perkins and the rest of the NBA Today panel had to say about the situation.
Kendrick Perkins Thinks Kawhi Leonard Should Consider Walking Away
Kendrick Perkins on Kawhi Leonard’s NBA Future
The Los Angeles Clippers just received their season’s first gut punch stemming from this week’s report that Kawhi Leonard will miss the start of the regular season, with an unspecified timetable to return. The cause of this bad news? Leonard’s parasitical-esque knee problems—they just will not die. Unfortunately, this news shouldn’t send shockwaves through the NBA, considering Leonard’s injury history. Most recently, Derrick White replaced him on Team USA because he was not physically ready to play. And now, that sad song continues.
Where does the two-time NBA Champion—nay, the two-time Finals MVP—go from here? During a segment dedicated to Kawhi’s injury news on ESPN’s NBA Today, the gang, which included senior NBA insider Shams Charania breaking down the story and Perkins giving his take, discussed Kawhi’s delicate situation. Perkins brought up retirement with a bold take, as he usually does.
“…I think it’s about that time to have that uncomfortable, tough conversation—this is not a hot take—but when you think about his [Leonard] history and you think about now and everything that Legs [Tim Legler] alluded to, you know, six months and still problems with his knee, and every single season, there’s a problem when it comes down to Kawhi Leonard’s health, he needs to sit down at the round table, not only with the Clippers organization but his family as well. I really think Kawhi Leonard should consider retiring…”
Big Perk has a point here and players in the past have retired on lesser terms. If Leonard did decide to call it, could anyone blame him? Considering all the injuries he’s gone through in recent years.
Chances Kawhi’s Actually Retires
Perkins would go on further to talk about cartilage in the knee and bone on bone and how surgeries rack up and take a toll on the human body. Well, he’s right. How many more procedures can Leonard undertake and, are more procedures or surgeries worth it? Leonard might just be the hardest person in the NBA to get a read on, so who knows what he could be thinking right about now.
Nevertheless, as Tim Legler and Perkins both alluded to, this is a delicate and unfortunate situation considering how great a player Leonard truly is. Only time will tell whether we see him play this season or when. The six-time All-Star could potentially miss the season, if not significant chunks, at least.
Retirement though? It seems bold, considering that Leonard is still great when healthy. If Charania’s reporting is correct, and the Clippers have a good recovery plan set for their superstar, which could aid in staving off retirement for the time being. The Clippers open their regular season next week in their brand-new Intuit Dome. James Harden will be without Leonard, but it is far-fetched that Leonard will walk away the same year his time embarks on a new organization-led era. The reports say “the start of the season,” so who knows what that really means in Leonard’s case. One thing is certain: amid all this disruption, you’ve got to really feel for Ty Lue. The man just can’t catch a break with his Clippers teams.
