On July 10, Team USA announced that Kawhi Leonard would withdraw from the Olympic basketball team, with Celtics player Derrick White taking his place. Multiple media outlets have since reported on the situation, revealing more details. White will not participate in today’s warm-up game against Canada but is expected to join the team in Abu Dhabi this weekend. Meanwhile, another Celtics star, Jaylen Brown, has updated his social media, seemingly expressing dissatisfaction over not being selected for the national team.
Team USA’s Statement
Team USA’s statement read: “Over the past few weeks, Leonard has been preparing for the Olympics and has undergone some strong training sessions in Las Vegas. He feels ready to compete. However, he respects the decision of Team USA and the Clippers to prepare for the upcoming NBA season during the rest of the offseason, which is in his best interest.” Following this, Team USA posted a graphic welcoming Derrick White to the team.
Derrick White Joins Team USA
White recently signed a four-year, $126 million contract with the Celtics. He previously represented the USA in the 2019 World Cup. Last season, White played a crucial role for the Celtics, averaging 15.2 points and 5.2 assists per game, contributing significantly to their championship run. While White won’t play in the warm-up game against Canada, he is expected to join Team USA in Abu Dhabi this weekend to begin his Olympic preparations.
Grant Hill’s Statement
“I am pleased to announce that Derrick (White) will participate in his first Olympics following the Celtics' championship,” said Team USA General Manager Grant Hill. “We look forward to having him join the team in the coming days as we continue to prepare for the Paris Olympics. I want to thank Kawhi (Leonard) for his commitment to the USA Men’s National Team. He earned the opportunity to represent the USA, but the leadership of USA Basketball and the Clippers believe it is important for Kawhi to prepare for the NBA season.”
Jaylen Brown’s Discontent
Interestingly, after Team USA confirmed White as Leonard’s replacement, Celtics star Jaylen Brown updated his social media. He first posted three confused emojis and later tagged a brand partner, writing, “Is this what we’re doing?” The latter post has since been deleted.
American media noted, “Not being selected for the Olympic team, Jaylen Brown doesn’t seem too happy.” Many fans echoed this sentiment, pointing out that Brown, who just won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP, has been excluded from the national team.
Concerns Over Leonard’s Injury
According to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times, a source revealed that Team USA GM Grant Hill, head coach Steve Kerr, and Clippers president Frank Lawrence were concerned about Leonard’s knee injury after observing his training sessions. Kerr had hinted at his worries in an earlier interview, stating Leonard’s performance in Team USA training was “inconsistent.”
“He started well on the first day but didn’t perform as well later, which is understandable since he’s just coming back from injury,” Kerr said. “The tricky part is the accelerated preparation timeline. We need to be sure, and Kawhi needs to be sure, that he can reach peak performance when the Olympics begin in a few weeks.” It appears their conclusion was negative.
Leonard’s Career Moves
Before withdrawing from the national team, Leonard stated that he had been undergoing knee rehabilitation for the past two months, and only two weeks ago did his condition improve enough to consider playing. He had planned to participate in the warm-up game against Canada, but circumstances changed quickly.
Leonard is about to start a three-year, $150 million contract with the Clippers, but his right knee injury has kept him from finishing the playoffs in the past two years. Over the past seven years, he has missed 256 regular-season games, including the entire 2021-22 season. Last season, Leonard played 68 games for the Clippers, the most since the 2016-17 season.
Team Decisions and Player Commitments
NBA teams cannot prevent signed players from playing for the national team, so withdrawing is usually a mutual decision. Two weeks ago, Canada’s GM Rowan Barrett stated that the Warriors were not allowing forward Andrew Wiggins to participate in the Olympics, but the Warriors clarified it was a mutual decision. Commentator A. Smith once said, “If I were Steve Ballmer, I wouldn’t let Kawhi Leonard join Team USA.” Hours later, Leonard did indeed withdraw from the national team.
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