Kawhi Leonard will not participate in his first Olympic Games! The Athletic and ESPN announce that the Federation has decided to remove him from the squad, in agreement with the Clippers so that he can best prepare for the next season. Steve Kerr's assistant in the selection, Tyronn Lue must have weighed in this decision.
“Kawhi has been preparing for the Olympics over the last few weeks and had some good workouts in Las Vegas. He felt ready to compete.” can be read in the press release. “However, he respects that the Federation and the Clippers have determined that it is in his best interest to spend the remainder of the summer preparing for the upcoming season rather than participating in the Paris Olympics.”
Clearly, the All-Star winger is not at 100% of his abilities after his right knee injury at the end of the season, and it is too risky to have him play with the United States. To replace him in the squad, Derrick White would hold the rope. NBA champion with the Celtics, he is a “two-way player” like Leonard, and even if he does not play in the same position, his experience in FIBA basketball, his versatility and his complicity with Jrue Holiday and Jayson Tatum will be valuable.
