It took less than 24 hours for the Los Angeles Clippers to exit the playoffs. Star forward Kawhi Leonard reportedly suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee, according to Shams Sarania of The Athletic.
Leonard’s injury was discovered before Game 3 and caused him to miss the final three games of the Clippers’ playoff series against the Phoenix Suns. The Clippers lost the series in five games.
Leonard put up strong numbers in the first two games of 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 with the injury.
Kawhi Leonard has a history of problems with his right knee
Leonard’s right knee has given him problems many times in his career. In 2021, Leonard tore his ACL in the same knee. He will miss the entire 2021-22 NBA season while recovering from the injury.
Prior to that, Leonard was diagnosed with right quadriceps tendinopathy while a member of the San Antonio Spurs. The injury limited Leonard to nine games in the 2017-18 NBA season.
Despite his injuries, Leonard is a great player when healthy. In the three seasons following his tendinopathy diagnosis, Leonard averaged 26.2 points per game and made the All-Star team each year. He has looked strong in his return from an ACL injury this season, averaging 23.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.