A roster spot on the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team opened up on Wednesday after Kawhi Leonard was forced to leave the team because of a chronic injury he suffered last season with the Clippers.
“Kawhi has been training for the Olympics over the past few weeks, attending several practices in Las Vegas and felt ready to compete. However, he respects the determination made by the USA Basketball Association and the Clippers that it is in his best interest to spend the remainder of the summer preparing for next season rather than competing in the Olympic Games in Paris,” the USA Basketball Association said in a statement.
On his behalf, Marc J. Spears of Andscape Celtics point guard Derrick White is reportedly set to play in Leonard’s place.
White was likely chosen over Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, who was named to the All-NBA Second Team last season as one of the league’s top players.
Leonard suffered a season-ending right knee injury, ending the Clippers’ playoff run before it even began.
The Clippers star had previously said his knee was not 100 percent but remained hopeful he would be able to compete in the Olympics.
“Yes, but I took my time and I was able to recover over the last two weeks.” Leonard told ESPN. on Sunday. “So, I’m here now and, yeah, I’m having a good time.”
With the latest announcement on Wednesday, that appears to have reversed, as the team is prioritizing perimeter defense.
The 2024 Olympics will begin on July 26th and run until August 11th.
