ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins stirred the pot when he suggested Kawhi Leonard should consider retiring after missing so many games over the past few seasons. Former NBA players Chandler Persons and Lou Williams thought it could be too soon for The Klaw to hang his sneakers and had some choice words for the 2008 champion.
"I don't think it's Perk's or any other person's place to say when it's time to retire," Williams stated on FanDuel's Run it Back. "We just watched my man (Lonzo) Ball come back in Chicago from two years and have an impact in the preseason. When you're fighting for your career, when you're trying to do things the right way, that's up to you to decide."
"Obviously, Kawhi has been going through this knee issue for quite some time now, but he's always made the effort to get back on the floor. The moment that he stops trying, he should consider that conversation. Until then, he's still working hard, still rehabbing, still trying to give himself a chance to get back on the basketball floor and be one of the top players in the league," the former three-time Sixth Man of the Year awardee continued.
In fairness to Perk, he didn't say anything about forcing Leonard to retire; he wanted the two-time champion to "consider" or think about it. Nevertheless, Lou Will also made excellent points. There's no need to listen to that type of talk until Kawhi is waving that white flag on his degenerative knee issue. Moreover, Leonard had 150 million reasons not to stop trying.
"Bad Take"
Parsons had his colleague's back on this one and seconded the notion that it's ultimately Kawhi's decision to retire or not. The two-time Finals MVP doesn't need to hear it from anyone, especially people on the outside looking in.
"It has nothing to do with his health and well-being moving forward. So, Kendrick Perkins, he's not the guy who's gonna be telling Kawhi Leonard, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, when he should hang it up or not. This is a bad take," Parsons added.
Apparently, it's not only NBA people who thought Big Perk was crossing the line. Sports medicine doctor Brian Satterer also challenged the former Celtics center, citing his lack of medical experience on the matter.
"Unless @KendrickPerkins can tell me the difference between an effusion and tendonitis I don't think he should have an opinion on this," the celebrity doctor posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Kawhi is still productive
In all fairness to Leonard, he still produces when he plays. The 6'7" forward averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals in 68 games last year. He made the All-NBA Second Team and was selected an All-Star for the sixth time in his career. That said, he was only a few years removed from an ACL injury that sidelined him for a whole season.
With Paul George signing with the Sixers, Kawhi's absence will be felt throughout Clipper Nation. If James Harden couldn't carry the team to the playoffs, the franchise could end up without a lottery pick. After all, OKC had the right to a 2025 pick swap with the Clippers , making the rich richer.
Related: Charles Barkley doesn't think Kawhi Leonard is a Top 50 player: "You gotta play basketball"
Local News
Comments / 0