Kawhi Leonard says he has no appetite for revisiting the Clippers scandal, even as the fallout from that years-long investigation continues to hang over his summer.
Asked about the situation in L.A. and what came after it, Leonard made it clear he’s tuned it out. “No, I don’t follow it,” said Leonard.
“I don’t know what to think of it all. I’m not entertained by it.
As I said before, the NBA did their job, and the PA did their job. I don’t even know what he’s talking about, so it’s hard for me.”
Leonard’s exact role in the cap circumvention scheme remains unclear, but the source material points to a setup that included no-show endorsement deals with companies like Aspiration and Daktronics, along with his uncle, Dennis Robertson, and his history of illegal demands. Even with that backdrop, Leonard has already put the episode behind him and moved on to Toronto.
Now the focus shifts to his ramp-up with the Raptors. Leonard said his body is in good shape after missing 17 games last season, though the team is easing him back into action.
“I’m there pretty much. We’re just taking our time to ramp up,” said Leonard.
“I wasn’t able to do much (this summer) because the trade was in a holding pattern. I’ve been going up and down today and yesterday, so it’s just a minutes restriction, in a sense.
But probably soon, I’ll be able to be fully active.”
That comes after a career year on the floor. Leonard posted averages of 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game while shooting 50.5% from the field.
At 35, Leonard also sounded more open about the person behind the player. He said retirement is somewhere on the horizon and that he wants people to see him more clearly.
“Probably being four or five years away from walking away, I just want to show people who I really am, because you get so many narratives out there. People don’t know me.
I’m just having fun with it. It’s not like I’m changing or doing anything different.
I’m being myself,” said Leonard. “I learned to come to work and just lock in and focus, so that’s all I try to do.
If you see me on the basketball court - preparing for practice, games, after games - for the most part, I’m dialed in. I’m trying to stay even-keeled and not let emotions override my play.”
Leonard’s tone suggested no lingering regret about how things played out with the Clippers. He’s already moved on from the scandal, settled into his new situation, and is preparing to give everything he has to the Raptors.
That fresh start comes with a two-year, $115 million extension signed this summer, and it leaves Leonard in a familiar but important place: committed to the team, with a final chapter still waiting to be written.
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