For years now, Kawhi Leonard has lived in a strange space in NBA discourse. Not forgotten, but dismissed. Not declined, but written off. Ever since he led the Toronto Raptors to an NBA championship and won Finals MVP in 2019, the narrative has been that Kawhi’s career somehow lost relevance once he chose free agency and signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.
That narrative has always been wrong.
Kawhi didn’t fall off. His body betrayed him.
His Clippers tenure began with enormous expectations in 2019–20, but it ended in disappointment when Los Angeles blew a 3–1 lead to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals inside the bubble. The Clippers were championship favorites, and that collapse permanently shaped how Kawhi’s early L.A. years were viewed.
Redemption seemed possible the very next postseason. In the 2021 Western Conference Semifinals against the top-seeded Utah Jazz, Leonard was dominant, helping the Clippers take control of the series. Then everything stopped. Kawhi tore his right ACL, ending his playoff run. The Clippers still beat Utah but fell to the Phoenix Suns in six games in the Western Conference Finals — their deepest playoff run ever, achieved without their best player.
The injury cost Leonard the entire 2021–22 season.
When he returned in 2022–23, the criticism only intensified. Kawhi played 52 games as the Clippers carefully managed his knee, and the noise grew louder. Television panels and social media questioned his commitment, often ignoring the reality of his medical history and the long shadow of his previous injuries — including the 2017 Western Conference Finals with San Antonio, when an ankle injury ended his series and limited him to just nine games the following season, sparking years of controversy between Leonard and the Spurs.
Then the playoffs arrived — and Kawhi reminded everyone who he is.
Against a loaded Phoenix Suns team featuring Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, Leonard was the best player on the floor, leading the Clippers to a 1–1 split in the first two games of the series. Once again, it ended cruelly. A torn meniscus sidelined him after Game 2, closing another postseason before it could truly unfold.
Across the next two seasons, Kawhi played just 105 total games. Despite elite talent around him, the Clippers never found postseason success. To many fans, Leonard’s prime felt like something that had already passed.
Now, at 34 years old, he’s rewriting that story.
The Clippers opened this season 6–21, one of the worst starts in the league. It didn’t matter to Kawhi. Over their last 18 games, Los Angeles is 15–3, and Leonard has carried them every step of the way.
This season, Kawhi is averaging 28.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, along with 2.2 steals, while shooting 49.8% from the field, 39.7% from three, and an astonishing 94% from the free-throw line. That level of efficiency from a 34-year-old wing isn’t nostalgia — it’s elite by any standard.
This isn’t San Antonio Kawhi or Toronto Kawhi. This is a version shaped by injuries, patience, and resilience — a player who understands how fragile opportunities can be.
Leonard’s resume still stands tall: two NBA championships, two Finals MVPs, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, six All-NBA selections, and a place on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. He is a first-ballot Hall of Famer and one of the greatest two-way players the game has ever seen.
Kawhi Leonard gets ripped constantly for games he didn’t play. What often gets overlooked is what happens when he does.
Right now, he’s delivering at a level we haven’t seen since his championship peak — and the Clippers are one of the hottest teams in basketball.
Whether this run leads to postseason redemption remains to be seen. But one thing is clear:
Kawhi Leonard was never irrelevant.
We just stopped paying attention.
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