Athletes are no strangers to the chance of injury. Despite strict training and conditioning regimens, some athletes can’t escape chronic issues that affect their performance. So, when is enough enough? In the case of NBA star Kawhi Leonard, it’s undetermined.

On July 10, USA Basketball removed Leonard’s roster spot on Team USA for the 2024 Paris Olympics. In a statement released on social media, USA Basketball said, “It’s in [Leonard’s] best interest to spend the remainder of the summer preparing for the upcoming season.”

Leonard had missed the last eight games of the 2023-24 NBA season and sat out multiple games during the Los Angeles Clippers’ postseason run, all of which were due to right knee inflammation.

According to the Clippers’ president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, the team was confident in Leonard’s ability to compete, explaining that Leonard had “spent a great deal of time getting ready” for the Olympics. However, the team accepted USA Basketball’s decision and focused on Leonard’s rehabilitation.

With only a few days until the start of the 2024-25 NBA season on October 22, 2024, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue told reporters that Leonard would be out indefinitely to rehabilitate his knee.

Lue said that Leonard “was in the right position to go forward” following his exit from Team USA but added that “once you start playing, you never know what’s going to happen.”

Leonard’s history of right knee inflammation began in the 2020-21 NBA postseason when he partially tore his ACL during the Western Conference semifinals. This injury sidelined Leonard for the entire 2021-22 season. His return in the 2022-23 season helped the Clippers make the postseason again, but Leonard tore his right meniscus in Game 1 of the first round. Since these injuries, Leonard has been unable to play a full season or postseason.

Determining whether to play through injury is a complex question that involves not only the perspective of the athlete and team staff, but also the experts who care for them. 

Erin Kineman, Drury University’s head athletic trainer, treats a wide range of student athletes, including those who play year-round without a rest period and those who arrive with a history of injuries that need continued support and preventative measures. Drury’s sports medicine team ensures that student athletes receive proper care and education about their injuries. 

“We have kids with a lot of overuse injuries, and they learn how to play through those,” Kineman said. “We [also] have kids who get ‘cleared’ for participation but still need physical therapy before they are able to compete at this level.”

Despite knowing the risks of pushing through an injury, athletes may experience a psychological impact as a result of not being able to play. 

Ty Thornton, a therapist with Burrell Behavioral Health at Drury, notices psychological changes in injured student athletes, including anxiety and depression. 

“Not being able to contribute to the team can feel devastating and lead to periods of depression,” Thornton said. “Not having the active outlet for them can cause stress and anxiety to build, and they can be emotionally overwhelmed. 

Thornton states that playing through pain or injury has become normalized. The expectation to push through may come from the athlete themselves, or it may be placed upon them by coaches or their families. “It can be really hard for student athletes to sit on the sidelines and watch their team succeed or fail and not feel a sense of obligation or responsibility.”

Thornton notes that the expectation to push through grows alongside the level of competition. Professional athletes may feel the pressure to push through not only to keep their playing time, but also to maintain money and endorsement offers. 

For Leonard and other professional athletes, fans may also influence the decision to continue playing. This influence may affect the athletes themselves as well as the team’s decision to push athletes through their injuries. 

After the announcement of Leonard’s indefinite time away from the court, NBA fans took to social media to share their concerns. Some fans expressed doubt in Leonard’s ability to recover given his injury history over his 12 NBA seasons. Other fans weren’t surprised by the announcement, and they questioned the Clippers’ decision to extend Leonard’s contract and called for his retirement.

With the high cost of tickets and merchandise, fans may feel frustrated or cheated when star professional athletes sit out, particularly when it has become expected for them to miss numerous games – as has been the case throughout Leonard’s career with the Clippers. This places additional pressure on these athletes to balance their health concerns with fan support.

As for Leonard’s future with the NBA, he and the Clippers organization are confident in his ability to play. Despite Leonard’s history of knee-related issues, Lue believes that Leonard will see the court sometime in the upcoming season. When asked about the possibility of Leonard missing the season, Lue said, “I don’t see those chances. I’m not a doctor, but I don’t see those chances.”

Leonard has carved his legacy with two NBA championships and two Defensive Player of the Year awards, but he remains committed to continuing his professional career. Before the start of the 2024-25 NBA season, Leonard told reporters that despite the impact of his knee injuries on his last few seasons, he has been successful in increasing the number of games he’s played each season and is ready to keep playing.

“I can still play,” said Leonard. “I went from 0 games to 52 to 68, so let’s see if I can keep it going from there.”

photo courtesy of pixabay