Kawhi Leonard made his return to the floor for the Los Angeles Clippers after missing 12 games with a right knee stiffness.
The franchise was cautious with the two-time NBA champion as the stiffness appeared in his surgically repaired knee. Leonard was forced to miss the entire 2021/22 season after undergoing ACL surgery in June of 2021.
“It was a group effort. Like I said before at the start of the season: it’s gonna be a long journey. ACL recovery isn’t just one year. Everybody thinks that, but it’s a two-year process, so, I know that and I’m gonna keep going and going through the process,” Kawhi Leonard said after Thursday’s 91-96 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
“[It felt] good,” he noted after playing 25 minutes vs. the Pistons. “It was good to be back to be able to be in live actions, getting some game reps, talking to teammates on the floor instead of the sideline. I felt good. I was happy to be back.”
Kawhi Leonard was part of the starting lineup and had six points, five rebounds, four assists and a game-high plus/minus of +26.
The superstar guard, who was out since October 25, is expected to get plenty of playing time in Saturday’s home game vs the San Antonio Spurs.
