Clippers star Kawhi Leonard reportedly has torn meniscus in his right knee
It took fewer than 24 hours for the Los Angeles Clippers' playoff exit to get worse. Star forward Kawhi Leonard reportedly sustained a torn meniscus in his right knee, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Leonard's injury was discovered prior to Game 3 of the Clippers' playoff series against the Phoenix Suns and caused him to miss the final three games. The Clippers lost the series in five games.
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has been diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his right knee, sources tell @TheAthletic@Stadium. Leonard averaged 35 points in first two games of this postseason vs. Suns before the meniscus injury was revealed and he was shut down by medical staff.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 26, 2023
Leonard put up strong numbers in the first two games in the series, scoring 38 points in a Game 1 win and 31 points in a Game 2 loss.
It's unclear how long Leonard, 31, will be sidelined due to the injury.
Kawhi Leonard has troublesome history with right knee
Leonard's right knee has given him problems multiple times over his career. In 2021, Leonard tore his ACL in that same knee. He missed the entire 2021-22 NBA season while recovering from the injury.
Prior to that, Leonard was diagnosed with right quadriceps tendinopathy when he was a member of the San Antonio Spurs. The injury limited Leonard to just nine games during the 2017-18 NBA season.
Despite those injuries, Leonard remains an excellent player when healthy. In the three seasons following his tendiopathy diagnosis, Leonard averaged 26.2 points per game and made the All-Star team each year. He looked strong in his return from his ACL injury this season, when he averaged 23.8 points and 6.5 rebounds in 52 games.