Real Reason Kawhi Leonard Was Forced To Leave Team USA

Kawhi Leonard’s inclusion on the final roster for this year’s Olympic Team USA team caught a lot of people off guard.

Talentwise, obviously Leonard is more than qualified to participate. But from a durability perspective – the Los Angeles Clippers star leaves a lot to be desired.

Predictably, not long into July’s training camp, Leonard opted to leave Team USA. LeBron James had a pretty blunt reaction to the decision – as did Stephen Curry.

This week Gilbert Arenas appeared on his podcast and offered the real reason Leonard is no longer on Team USA.

“Grant Hill’s speech said Kawhi got cut,” Arenas noted.

“When you heard Grant Hill speak, it didn’t sound like Kawhi decided to leave. It sounded like, ‘Yeah, we decided to go in a different way.’ Come on, man. If they really thought it was a concern while he was working out for all those weeks, they would have said it right then and there.

“They would have said, ‘We don’t want him playing, we don’t want him going.’ So, it wasn’t them, it was you. He’s just not a good fit.”

It’s tough to argue with Arenas’ logic. Given the current roster composition, it is hard to see how Leonard fits into the equation. And when you add in his durability issues, it makes for all the more reason why wasn’t a proper fit.

Will Leonard or his reps ultimately come out at some point and solidify once and for all why he departed Team USA this summer? Time will tell.

Anthony Amador

A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school Games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.