Raps should be worried about Leonard skipping USA Basketball camp
LAS VEGAS This is a misstep for Kawhi Leonard.
He should be in Las Vegas. The saga about his future is done and settled, at least for the next 12 months. He’s with the Toronto Raptors. He got at least half of his wish fulfilled in that he’s been traded out of San Antonio, even if it wasn’t to his preferred Los Angeles. So there’s no reason to still be silent, no reason to hide, no reason to remain as a now-international man of mystery.
Apparently, Leonard doesn’t see it that way.
He declined an invitation to be with USA Basketball this week for its two-practice mini-camp for reasons only he truly knows. The semi-official story is he’s focused on preparing for his move to Toronto. OK, fair enough. It’s a major event for anyone to pack up a home and move to a different country.
But that’s not enough to keep him out of this camp.
There are only three legitimate reasons why Leonard wouldn’t be here. The first is the leg injury that limited him to nine games last season has not healed sufficiently enough to allow him to play, a notion that should frighten the Raptors. The second is he’s just scared, a notion that should frighten the Raptors. The third is he doesn’t care, a notion that should also frighten the Raptors.
He could have gotten a slew of things out of the way this week. Shown the world he’s fit enough to play again. Answered questions about his excitement level for the move to Toronto and why he wanted out of San Antonio. Had that awkward first post-trade interaction with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, the new USA Basketball coach. Closed a lot of chapters that need endings.
Instead, just more silence. It’s well-known Leonard isn’t a big talker. In this day and age, that’s almost admirable on some level.
There will be a day, though, when Leonard will get asked the questions he’s apparently dreading. Maybe at Raptors media day in Toronto in a couple months. Maybe on those two days when the Raptors and Spurs play next season. Definitely on the trip to San Antonio for the first time as an opponent.
If he’s looking to avoid those, he’s putting off the inevitable.
Leonard turned 27 about a month ago. He likely isn’t even near his prime yet and he’s already been an NBA Finals MVP. His talent has been celebrated for years. If he is so inclined, he could have a spot on the 2020 Olympic team and likely come home from Tokyo with a gold medal.
Whatever his reason for not attending the camp, it’s not a good look for him.