Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has been continuously criticized for being injury-prone, and Patrick Beverley has a good guess as to why the six-time NBA All-Star has almost always been hurt.
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Patrick Beverley and Kawhi Leonard were teammates in LA from 2019 to 2021. And having played with different NBA stars throughout his career, the Hapoel Tel Aviv-bound guard described Leonard as the hardest worker he’s ever played with.
“Kawhi. Hardest working motherf—–r I’ve seen in my life,” Beverley said on The OGs Podcast. “When I say hard-working, in the weight room, it’s LeBron (James). On the court, it’s Kawhi. Together, weight room and court, Kawhi. I ain’t seen nobody like him.”
“That’s why he be hurt. That’s what people don’t understand. (I was like), ‘K, man, you gotta relax.’ And he was like, ‘Nah.'” he emphasized.
Kawhi Leonard isn’t the type to be open about what he does in the gym, so it’s commendable for Patrick Beverley to come to his defense, especially since the two-time NBA champion has been the butt of jokes in recent years.
Kawhi Leonard looking to lead the Los Angeles Clippers sans Paul George
The Los Angeles Clippers will look different next season, as Paul George joined the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency while Mason Plumlee, Daniel Theis, and Russell Westbrook also left the team.
The team added Mo Bamba, Nicolas Batum, Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., and Kevin Porter Jr. via separate deals to compensate for their departures this summer. They also handed out lucrative extensions to James Harden and Kawhi Leonard.
Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer remains optimistic despite the changes, saying he still expects his team to compete in the stacked Western Conference.
