Los Angeles Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard could make his first appearance for the 2023-24 NBA season before Christmas. NBA critic Bill Simmons claimed Leonard could play in his first game of the season before Christmas on his show, “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” on Thursday.
Leonard has not played a game this season as he’s recovering from a right knee surgery he underwent during the offseason. Despite his absence, the team has stayed afloat in the Western Conference standings and has a 14-10 record, thanks to the brilliance of veteran star James Harden.
“My Clippers guy was telling me Kawhi Leonard’s coming back before Christmas. I think he is ramped up. He’s ramped up and ready to go,” Simmons said on his show.
Kawhi Leonard is expected to return to the LA Clippers lineup “before Christmas,” sources tell @BillSimmons:
“My Clippers guy was telling me Kawhi’s coming back before Christmas. I think he’s ramped up. He’s ramped up and ready to go.”
(h/t: @TheArfur) pic.twitter.com/MVBgucJ8EJ
— Andy (@APH00PS) December 5, 2024
The Los Angeles squad currently has six games left before the holiday. On December 8, they will play their third game against the Texas-based Houston Rockets. On Dec. 13, Harden and the team will play against the Denver Nuggets followed by their game against the Utah Jazz on Dec. 16.
On Dec. 19 and 21, the Clippers will have a back-to-back matchup against the Dallas Mavericks. Their last game before Christmas will be against the Memphis Grizzlies on Dec, 23.
The team is preparing for Leonard’s return to the court. A video of him practicing on the court for the first time on Wednesday was posted on X (formerly Twitter), showing signs of his potential return.
First footage of Kawhi Leonard doing on-court work since his surgery 👀 pic.twitter.com/pJq6NIP1wo
— Andy (@APH00PS) December 5, 2024
Former Clippers guard had high praise for James Harden
During an episode of “Run It Back,” a question was asked former Clippers guard Lou Williams. The question concerned Harden and his chances at being named into the Hall of Fame, which Williams believes should be a no-brainer.
“Absolutely,” Williams said. “He’s a game changer. It’s a lot of Hall of Famers that had impact on the game without winning championships. Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson, but they were impactful guy. This guy has literally changed rules. They’ve had to adjust how the game is played based on how he’s been about it. Everywhere he’s gone ,he’s left a mark. Philadelphia, Brooklyn, OKC, Houston. He’s still one of the best players in Houston Rockets history.”
James Harden is a NO DOUBT Hall of Famer 💯
"A lot of Hall of Famers had impact on the game and didn't have championships. Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson… Everywhere he's gone he's left a mark. Philadelphia, Brooklyn, OKC, Houston." – @TeamLou23
📺 https://t.co/iQzNMjiVd2 pic.twitter.com/0kxwILfT2B
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 5, 2024
Even at 35, Harden is still one of the best players in the league, averaging 21.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists. With his presence for the Clippers, the team has performed well. He’s started to play like his old self, distributing the basketball and making major plays for himself.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
