You would think that the NBA created these regulations on “load management” for him! For several years, Kawhi Leonard is exempt from back-to-back, and has been seen sitting more often than on the field. But the Clippers winger refutes this image of a player who spends his time resting. When he doesn’t play, it’s because he can’t!
” What is it about ? » he answers to a question about the new rules put in place by the NBA. “I don’t know the rules. It’s what ? Are we talking about “load management”? If I’m able to play, I’ll play. I trained all summer to play. Not to sit and watch others play. No rules will help me play more matches. I’m not trying to reach a certain number of matches. I try to play as many matches as possible. If I’m injured, I can’t play. In the last two years, I tore a knee ligament at the end of the season and tore a meniscus. It’s basketball…”
“If the league sees or tries to make fun of what I did with the Raptors, they should stop”
Having just recovered from his last knee operation, Kawhi Leonard recalls that when he was rested in the past, it was as part of a return to competition, after several months without playing.
“I’m not a guy who stays on the sidelines because of load management. When I was with the Raptors, it was different: I was coming off an injury, and you have to know the details given by the doctor. But if the league sees or tries to make fun of what I did with the Raptors, they should stop because I was injured all year. Other than that, if I’m able to play, I’ll play basketball. »
Kawhi Leonard also recalls that he has often injured himself stupidly, and that these are things he cannot control. “It’s about being careful not to step on someone…Last year, a lot of my injuries were from stepping on someone’s foot or bumping into someone’s foot. someone… You have to control what you can control, follow the treatments you can and listen to your body. »
Finally, he recalls that his game is risky, and that this can also explain his frequent injuries. “I am a two-way player. I give it my all, and injuries happen. I’m not there walking around… I play on both sides of the field. I face the best players on both sides of the court, every night. Either I defend against the best opposing player, or he defends against me. If an injury occurs, it’s like this…”
