Kawhi Leonard has withdrawn from Team USA less than three weeks before the start of the Paris Olympics.
USA Basketball announced Leonard’s decision Wednesday, saying the LA Clippers star will spend the rest of the summer preparing for the 2024-25 NBA season.
“Kawhi has been ramping up for the Olympics over the past several weeks and had a few strong practices in Las Vegas,” USA Basketball said in a statement. “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.”
It would have been the first Olympic trip for Leonard, who missed 12 of the Clippers’ final 14 games this past season with right knee inflammation.
USA Basketball will be permitted to replace Leonard on the 12-man roster ahead of its Olympics opener against Serbia on July 28. Leonard said earlier this week that his knee was fine and that he was able to resume on-court training about three weeks ago to get ready for the Olympics.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.