Kawhi Leonard withdraws from Team USA Basketball to focus on Clippers season | NBA | UNDISPUTED

Kawhi Leonard withdraws from Team USA Basketball to focus on Clippers season | NBA | UNDISPUTED

breaking news Kawai Leonard has withdrawn from Team USA in a statement Team USA said and I quote Kawai has been ramping up for the Olympics over the past several weeks and had a few strong practices in Las Vegas he felt ready to compete however he respects that USA basketball and the Clippers determined it’s in his best interest to spend the remainder of the summer preparing for the upcoming season rather than participating in the Olympic Games in Paris according to Shams Boston’s Derek white is a strong candidate to replace Leonard Paul Pierce your reaction to this news you know knowing that kawai’s history of injuries I like that move you know he didn’t finish out the Clippers season and you know I know he’s been ramping up he wants to play he probably has that itch but I think it’s best on both parts that you know he he gets ready for the team that’s paying him that boatload of money he just made he gets ready for that because if he has any setback in the Olympics and he’s unable to start the regular season for the Clippers it’s just going to be another one of those here we go again here we go again here we go right on schedule you know just always something so you know I I like that move and I think Derek white I mean there’s a number of guys out that you could put out there you know Derek white being one of them Jaylen brown but you know we probably know jayen brown jayen brown vacation so probably on 100 foot yacht celebrating 100 foot yeah he a going to be on 100 foot he going to be on like a 300 foot 300 foot yacht you know celebrating the win and nothing wrong with that you know so I like this move by Kawai if it was a mutual thing between Clippers and Olympics I mean maybe this shouldn’t even been a consideration in the first place I mean you coming off an injury you’re not playing the playoffs I mean I don’t even know if that’s even a good look how is the organization I’m frowning on that actually thank you like I’m really like frowning if I’m the Clippers I’m like we we missed the playoffs and then you play the Olympics like no let’s save that for us we just gave you this extension you’ve been known for these injuries save that for us so if you get injured over here we can deal with it a lot better than you coming in the camp not ready and playing all summer you know I’m just not feeling all of that so good move on both parts to come to this and I I don’t I even know how I even got to that he even been on the Olympics after well I said it yesterday like I don’t even know how he got to Vegas like should even been there Vegas man that’s easy well he shouldn’t even been in those practices right now but but like I told skip yesterday when skip asked me the question if I was executive of the Clippers and my guy like a kawh Le I think we did it Monday was M we do so many damn shows but you asked that question this week I did and I said I would have the conversation about the goals here if if if it’s hard you you said to me earlier to us earlier that in ‘ 08 that’s the only time you regret not playing basketball was for you to get the gold medal yeah if my memory serves me correct Kawhi Leonard has not played in the Olympics to get a gold wait hold on I understand that so as an organization and an executive I probably would have a conversation with him to understand why much like you said we gave you 150 bucks we need you for our season we need you to stay healthy I would have that conversation with him but if he was adamant about going and getting a look in a feel to see if he could do it then I’mma bless that clearly they got to whever they got to in the meeting of the minds and made a decision that okay this is probably not best for us right now let’s take a step back let’s get healed so we can get ready for the season starting up in October which is a smart thing to do but if but if he could have played in the Olympics he should have played in the Olympics because he’s never done it before play in Olympics he can play he’s been the practice Yeah but he can’t but but yeah but you just don’t want no setbacks right now that’s what I’m saying so he can’t play cuz he might get a set like even before LeBron James can play ain’t nothing wrong with LeBron James LeBron is like a damn I don’t know what he is but like a bus I was like to be honest I was shocked he was even named to this team skill Kawai yeah I was shocked because of the injuries yeah no it had nothing to do with his game it had nothing it just had everything to do with you know kawai’s been injured and he’s not playing in the playoffs how is he named to this what do they is do they like he was named months ago like a month ago or so right yeah the season was over for them though yeah but like how do you you coming off injury getting named to the team okay but you consider him a top 10 player right I still consider him a top tier and the last time play four months ago or something I was shocked that even MB was named just for the simple fact these guys dealing with these injuries and then you know it’s not had nothing to do with their game I would have been more inclined to say hey maybe we should take Jaylen brown or you know instead of MB maybe we should take somebody like I don’t know have another big Pablo B Caro well the international game you don’t really need back to the basket Bigs like that no I understand that but I you know and I know he can come outside he’s versatile but you don’t need MB for this Olympics for us to still win you know what I’m saying you could have took a Jaylen Brown instead of Kawai you could have went Pablo W young a guy who’s gonna be in the next Olympics Pablo banero down in Orlando you still feel comfortable with USA pretty much winning and the only reason I say that is because of their injuries not that they didn’t they didn’t deserve to be there but I would have kind of like f F back on these older guys yeah due to their injury history like embiid and Kawai and went a little bit younger I would like to see Kawai I would have lik to seen him get a goal because this is his last shot I got it but the injuries and you and Rachel concluded that the Clippers can’t stand in the way of patriotism you know like the red white and blue you got this is a once in a-lifetime opportunity I got I got it but they are paying him $50 million and more important that’s they fault okay but more important they just put all their eggs and all their basketballs in his basket again they did it again they just said you are it you’re the man not him he was a 1A but we can do without the 1A says the Clippers Ty lud not happy about that yesterday when he spoke about it but the point is wait you’re all in for a guy who’s had another little cleanup surgery this off season because he has one every offseason because he’s got chronically bad both knees and wait a second he’s going to go play eight more big games in the Olympics where where he’s going to play I don’t know 15 20 minutes a night really you’re going to do that because it’s high risk and I told you if I were an executive on Lawrence Frank or Mr Balmer I’m just saying Kawai give us a break here we’re you’re it it’s you B you can you can come to me all day long and say that but again you’re getting in the way of my lifelong dream that is true I got two NBA titles already I’m not you I don’t have a gold medal I don’t have a gold medal that means something I I know 50 million in the max but it’s it’s still a lot of money that you you’re pay well it’s not the max cuz I took less well I should have took more you could have taken more I should have took more okay and you know me I’m not into giving people discounts I do believe he was he he discounted so that onea could stay for approximately the same money and guess what they a in Philadelphia they offered him according to Paul George two years 60 million I can’t believe that sound right according to PG he said 2 years 60 million yeah that’s what he said a year no total half that means 30 and 30 for the Kansas education that’s all it means and I got 212 coming from Philly that don’t even make sense it don’t make sense that’s what that’s what he said he said the first offer which the first offer the first offer was 60 for two that’s what he said and then it went up to close to the 150 but they didn’t want to give him the no trade clause but if you start me at 60 and it took me all this time to get you to 150 well come on you think I’m a damn fool that’s what he said he said I couldn’t bring that kind of energy back yeah I don’t even know how you even going to talk to me like that yeah think about that part when you was playing for the Celtics they told you you gonna make we got five for you and then all of a sudden you say I want to get the same ass kg and they like well uh uh and then they at the last minute they give it to you you ain’t gonna feel a certain way last Quick point that statement I just read from USA Basketball it says that USA basketball and the Clippers and the Clippers decided so they were part of this decision making and you can’t tell me they’re not saying Ka man come on well they probably had a conversation with him Lawrence Frank and and even maybe Steve bber even take a look see if you can do it how did it get so when be honest with because they want to see they want to gauge it Paul and see if he he could have just been on the select team if y’all want to gauge where he is maybe like why does it take for him to spend a week in Camp for them to make this decision because he wants to see where he’s at if he can actually do it it’s this what I’m saying he could be on the select team and see where he at okay but be why you why is it the Clippers coming in now no they probably already worst case scenario here be if he’s trying to play and it’s not doing very well exactly so maybe something else we don’t know let me let me step back could be something we don’t know it doesn’t feel right I don’t know how you get a week in practice to where you decide this how about when you got selected you decide no no maybe we shouldn’t in a moment we discussed Chris Paul saying that wimy was the most talked about player among NBA players last season Chris Paul now a spur thanks for watching Undisputed fans do you want more highlights from the show make sure to click that subscribe button for all the exclusive content from Undisputed

Skip Bayless, Paul Pierce and Keyshawn Johnson react to Kawhi Leonard’s withdrawal from Team USA Basketball to focus on the LA Clippers upcoming season. Skip, Paul & Keyshawn predict who will replace Kawhi on the USA Olympic roster.

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Kawhi Leonard withdraws from Team USA Basketball to focus on Clippers season | NBA | UNDISPUTED

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