The Klaw is finally back.
Kawhi Leonard is expected to make his season debut for the LA Clippers tomorrow against the Atlanta Hawks, as per NBA senior insider Shams Charania.
Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard plans to make his season debut Saturday versus the Atlanta Hawks at Intuit Dome, sources tell ESPN. Clippers upgraded Leonard to questionable tonight.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 4, 2025
Leonard, who missed the team’s first 34 games, teased his impending play last December 28 in a short video.
The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of understanding 🖐🏾#kawhileonard #KL2
— Kawhi Leonard (@Way2Whi) December 27, 2024
For their part, the Clippers officially upgraded Leonard’s status to "questionable” against the visiting Hawks.
LA is currently 19-15, good for the seventh spot and inside the the Play-In territory in the loaded West, just have-a-game behind the no. 6 Dallas Mavericks (20-15).
An offseason procedure to address his right knee inflammation kept the two-time Finals MVP from suiting up, even getting replaced by Derrick White in the Team USA squad that won gold in Paris 2024.
[ALSO READ: Tracking Kawhi Leonard's injury struggles since 2019 championship]
Last season, Leonard played perhaps his healthiest season as a Clipper, playing 68 games and averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists.
The 33-year-old however got injured in Game 3 and did not come back as LA got bounced out in the opening round by the eventual West champions Dallas Mavericks in six games.
