SUMMARY
- Kawhi Leonard has missed over 300 games due to injuries and injury/load management.
- He missed the 2021-22 season after suffering from an ACL tear during the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Kawhi Leonard is easily one of the best performers in the NBA with a stride for success. Leonard began his journey in the league under one of the greatest coaches ever, Gregg Popovich. He played alongside some of the greatest players as well. If there is one thing the 6x All-Star is known for, it is being an elite playoff performer. In three NBA Finals appearances, Leonard managed to win two rings and series MVPs.
Kawhi Leonard G4 vs Grizzlies 2017 1st RD:
– 43 PTS
– 8 REB
– 3 AST
– 6 STL
– 7/10 3P
– 8/8 FTOne of the greatest forgotten playoff performances in NBA Historypic.twitter.com/kLsmgDHre6
— ً (@CookedByMari) February 22, 2024
However, despite having several successful and productive stints with the San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, and now the LA Clippers, Leonard has battled through injuries many times. At times, injuries became the reasons why he was often included in trade scenarios and rumors over the years. So let’s take a look into the number of injuries he had has, and the games he missed because of them.
Kawhi Leonard has missed over 300 games due to injuries
Kawhi Leonard came into the league during the 2011 NBA Draft as the 15th overall pick. Despite being selected by the Indiana Pacers, he was traded to the Spurs before the 2011-12 season commenced. Overall, he has only appeared for 679 games (and counting) out of 900+ possible games (and counting). Due to injuries, Leonard has missed over 300 games since the beginning of his dazzling journey to NBA stardom.
His long list of injuries began during the 2017 NBA Playoffs. He suffered from a quadriceps injury that crippled the Spurs during their playoff run that season. During the 2017-18 season, Leonard appeared for 9 games due to a quadriceps injury. His long absence from the lineup also made people question his intentions of playing with the Spurs.
During the 2018-19 season, Leonard missed multiple games due to knee ailments and load management. He ultimately won his second championship during this season with the Raptors. After joining the Clippers, he managed to appear for just over 50 games each season. Most of the games he has missed with the Clippers were due to load management.
An ACL injury sidelined Kawhi Leonard throughout the 2021-22 season
During the 2021 NBA Playoffs, Kawhi Leonard tore his ACL before the Clippers made their run to the Western Conference Finals. However, he ended up missing the entire 2021-22 campaign in recovery. It took Leonard an agonizing 492 days to recover and make a full-fledged return to the Clippers’ lineup during the 2022-23 season.
Between his return and the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Leonard missed several games due to load management and a couple of minor ailments revolving around the knee and ankle. Unfortunately, Leonard tore his meniscus during the Clippers’ 2023 playoff run. Luckily, his ACL was perfectly alright as he injured the same knee. Leonard managed to make a full recovery to start the 2023-24 season.