USA Basketball announced on Wednesday that Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is withdrawing from Team USA and will not play in the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and later revealed that Derrick White of the Boston Celtics has been named as a replacement for Leonard on the roster. Team USA’s full roster, in alphabetical order: Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Haliburton, Jrue Holiday, LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White.
The official statement about Leonard from USAB reads: “Kawhi has been ramping up for the Olympics over the past several weeks and had a few strong practices in Las Vegas. He felt ready to compete. However, he respects that USA Basketball and the Clippers determined it’s in his best interest to spend the remainder of the summer preparing for the upcoming season rather than participating in the Olympic Games in Paris.”
USA Basketball Men’s National Team managing director Grant Hill in a statement: “I am happy to announce that Derrick will compete at his first Olympic Games on the heels of a championship season in Boston. We look forward to him joining the team in the coming days as we continue preparations for Paris. I want to thank Kawhi for his commitment to the USA Men’s National Team. He earned the opportunity to represent the United States, but USA Basketball and Clippers leadership felt it’s important to allow Kawhi to prepare for the NBA season.”
Leonard missed the entire 2021-22 NBA season after tearing his ACL during the 2021 postseason and was limited to only two games during the 2023 playoffs due to a torn meniscus. He played 68 games during the 2023-24 NBA regular season while dealing with chronic knee soreness and inflammation, missing the last eight games of the season stemming from a right knee injury. After attempting to come back during the Clippers’ first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks and appearing in Games 2 and 3, he was again sidelined.
Leonard took part in every Team USA practice and scrimmage prior to the Paris Games. On Sunday, he told reporters that he had previously been concerned that he might have to miss the Olympics but he “took the time, and I was able to turn around over the last two weeks (via ESPN). Leonard said last season, he “tried to play as much as possible, felt great. And at a certain period of time I couldn’t go. I tried the best that I could, but it’s just my journey.” However, ESPN’s Marc Spears reported that Leonard’s camp expressed concern to USA Basketball two days prior to his withdrawal, and team staff felt that his knee would limit him from being 100% during the Olympic tournament.
Team USA began its pre-Olympic exhibition schedule Wednesday against Canada at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. They will then travel to the United Arab Emirates for two games against Australia and Serbia next week before wrapping up the tour in London against South Sudan and Germany.
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