Leonard, confident in his physical condition, “Full recovery from ACL injury
Kawhi Leonard (32) was confident that he would play the 2023-24 season in perfect condition.
At a press conference held a day before the opening game against the Portland Trail Blazers on the 25th (Korean time), Leonard said that he had recovered from an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament rupture) injury and a meniscus injury.
He said, “I feel good and ready (to continue the season),” and “I think the ACL injury from last year is over. His rehabilitation process is almost two years. “I’ve talked to people (who have torn their ACL) and seen when they started feeling better, and that’s how my knee feels now.”
Leonard previously underwent surgery for the first time in 2021 to repair an ACL injury. He missed the entire 21-22 season due to rehabilitation and played in 52 games for the Clippers last season. However, last season, his participation was limited due to knee pain and ankle sprain, and he was unable to participate in the playoffs due to a meniscus injury.
Last season, Leonard averaged 23.8 points and 6.5 rebounds, his lowest performance since his final season with the San Antonio Spurs in 2017-18, when he played in only nine games due to injury. This proved that Leonard was not yet in full physical condition to play in the game.
Accordingly, Leonard, who underwent knee surgery last June, underwent rehabilitation for four months thereafter.
Looking back on last season, Leonard said, “At the time, I was still trying to overcome my struggles and get healthy,” but added, “But I’m going to show the fans and other players that I can still play at a high level.” He expressed confidence in himself.온라인카지노
Meanwhile, the Clippers advanced to the playoffs with a record of 44 wins and 38 losses last season despite Leonard’s injury issues, but lost to the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, who will begin the new season on the 26th, said, “It’s different from last season. When there were restrictions, we couldn’t make all the plays we wanted, and that’s a big difference.”
In addition, he assured that the 2023-24 season will be different, saying, “Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook created a team atmosphere from the beginning of training camp and conducted all training sessions without problems.”