Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard feels in no way obligated to play in every NBA game throughout the season, despite the league adding its new player participation policy last month.
Leonard, who missed all of the 2021-22 campaign, played in 52 games last season before tearing his right meniscus in Game 2 of the the team’s first-round series against the Suns. This forced him to miss the final three games of postseason play for the Clippers.
As Leonard transitions back to the court for his 12th NBA season, the Clippers’ star declined the notion of load management with reporters on Monday during the team’s media day.
“I’m not a guy that's sitting down for load management,” Leonard said. “I work out every day in the summertime to play the game, not to sit out and watch others play. … If the league is trying to mock what I did with the Raptors, it should stop, because I was injured during that whole year. … No league policy is helping me to play more games.”
The NBA’s new policy blocks team from resting multiple star players in a game and enforces penalties for teams that violate the mandate. The five-time All-Star has not played in more than 57 games in a season since joining the Clippers in ’19.
