Kawhi Leonard is a man of few words, so it is worth paying attention to whenever he does speak.
The LA Clippers star was in attendance for All-Star festivities in Cleveland over the weekend. On Sunday, Leonard was honored as one of the 75 best players in league history. As Leonard met backstage with some NBA greats, Golden State Warriors legend Rick Barry asked him if he was feeling better.
“Oh yeah, I’m feeling a lot better,” replied Leonard. “I’m tryna get back out there, man.”
Check out the video.
Kawhi Leonard meeting a row of NBA legends and letting them know "he's feeling a lot better" pic.twitter.com/uZSWDA5aNk
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) February 21, 2022
That sounds like a man who is trying to play this season. The five-time All-Star Leonard is now over seven months removed from surgery to repair a partial tear of his right ACL. There is about a month-and-a-half left to go in the regular season, and the eighth-place Clippers are hoping that Leonard can still come back at some point.
There was recently a more pessimistic update about Leonard’s status, but that one did not come from Leonard himself. While the 30-year-old star is known for being cautious with his health, it does not sound like he is ready to punt away this season just yet.
Photo: Feb 26, 2020; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
