Kawhi Leonard, a forward for the Los Angeles Clippers, will no longer be included in the men’s basketball Olympic team, USA Basketball announced on Wednesday.

“Kawhi Leonard felt ready to compete after taking part in training sessions over the past few weeks and putting on great performances in Las Vegas,” a USA Basketball statement read. But he decided that it would be better for him to concentrate on getting ready for the next season rather than competing in the Olympic Games in Paris, along with USA Basketball and the Clippers.”

Throughout his career, Leonard has had numerous injuries, despite being a well-known basketball player and being predicted to compete in the Olympics in Paris alongside other notable American athletes. Known as “load management,” Leonard’s playing time has been meticulously controlled in recent seasons to guarantee his health throughout crucial periods of the season.

Late in the 2023–24 season, he battled a knee ailment that kept him out of numerous games during the Clippers’ playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks.

Derrick White, the Boston Celtics point guard, was soon to be named by USA Basketball as Leonard’s replacement for the Olympic team.

Leonard, who is 33 years old, has finished his twelfth NBA season. He has previously played for the Toronto Raptors and the San Antonio Spurs. Having won NBA championships with the Spurs in 2014 and the Raptors in 2019, he is a proud man.

Shortly after Leonard was first named to the 592-person US Olympic Team that was scheduled to compete in Paris, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee made the announcement. After being selected as a finalist for the teams in 2016 and 2020, this would have been Leonard’s first Olympics.