Leonard working hard to get his ankle back in playing shape
Heat center Meyers Leonard says he is continuing to rehab his sprained ankle at home while the NBA season is on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the NBA season suspended until further notice because of the coronavirus pandemic, Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard is facing a different challenge than others in remaining ready for the possible resumption of the season.
Leonard, who started the first 49 games of the season, missed the last 16 games because of a sprained left ankle. With the league’s stoppage further delaying a potential return, he has not played in a game since Feb. 3 when the Heat routed the Philadelphia 76ers at AmericanAirlines Arena.
But Leonard said even though NBA facilities are closed indefinitely, he has been able to continue the rehabilitation process with the help of the pool at his house. Also, Heat director of rehabilitation Brandon Gilliam was cleared to lead in-home sessions with
Leonard a few times per week.
On a conference call with local reporters Thursday, Leonard estimated that his ankle was “90 percent” healthy. But he made it clear he’s not in basketball shape yet because he hasn’t played in a game or had the opportunity to practice in two months.
“In terms of basketball specific movements and taking the physical demand of guarding a Joel Embiid or guarding a [Domantas] Sabonis or something like that, I don’t know if I can do that right now,” Leonard said. “But I do feel good. The swelling is coming down every day as my
The Wimbledon tennis tournament has been canceled. Not delayed indefinitely but erased from the calendar. The IOC has postponed the Summer Olympics an entire year until 2021.
Meantime in the United States, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell refuses the wishes of most of his own team general managers and says the draft will go on as scheduled in three weeks. And Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are planning a round of golf on an unnamed Florida course, and quarterback buddies Tom Brady and Peyton Manning might join them.
This as the NBA and NHL still delude themselves to think their seasons might yet resume, or somehow should. Basketball, hockey, baseball and soccer all envision playing games soon or by summer, albeit likely with no spectators allowed, amid a horror show likely to result in the most American deaths since the more than 400,000 in World War II.
Why is U.S. sports not facing this coronavirus/
body understands the load management and the connection between my brain, my body and my ankle. It just allows for me to do everyday life things totally normal, and a ton of these drills and exercises totally normal.”
Leonard added that he has been able to participate in some of the team workouts with Heat players and staff over the Zoom remote conferencing platform during the NBA shutdown, noting that he has “done a ton of lifting” and is waiting on the delivery of a stationary bike for conditioning purposes.
While classified as a sprain, Leonard’s ankle injury was definitely not a minor one. Leonard said, “I hurt the hell out of myself. There ain’t no doubt about it.”
But Leonard, who turned 28 in February, said he would have been ready for the start of the playoffs.
“At the end of the day, Meyers Leonard is about winning, period,” he said. “I love it here, I really do. So, would I have been able to have returned near the end of the regular season? My hopes were yes. Get some games under my belt and be ready for the playoffs. But let me just tell you, cast it or do whatever you have to do, Meyers Leonard is playing in the playoffs, period.
“At the end of the day, that’s what I’m about — winning. I would figure out the rest of rehab in the summer if that were the case. That’s how I feel about it.”
Leonard has averaged
6.1 points while shooting 52 percent from the field and 42.9 percent on threes, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in his first season with the Heat. Miami has outscored opponents by a combined 95 points with Leonard on the court.
Whenever the NBA season comes to an end, there will be a question looming over Leonard’s future with the organization: Has Leonard
played his final game in a Heat uniform?
Leonard, who is playing on a $11.3 million salary this season, is in the final year of his contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent this upcoming summer. He spent the first seven seasons of his NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers before he was dealt to the Heat last summer as part of the fourteam Jimmy Butler trade.
But with the rest of the NBA calendar in limbo, there’s still so much to be determined before Leonard has to make any type of free agent decision.
“I can say that it has been very weird, very strange,” Leonard said of the uncertainty surrounding the rest of the season. “Most NBA players, it’s habitual for us. Get up, work out, put up shots. Even on off days. It’s very strange to wonder when is the season going to resume? Is it going to resume? Should I get my body a little rest?
“I would just say that everyone needs to understand that basketball will resume when the time is right, when we are certain everyone can be protected and healthy. Whether that means starting practices and playing with no fans, playing with limited fans. Whatever it is, the No. 1 priority is everyone’s safety. That’s just what it is.”
Leonard will be streaming for 24 hours straight on ESPN Esports’ Twitch channel starting Sunday at 1 p.m. for the Hammer Classic. He’ll be donating $25,000 matched by the NBPA. The Hammer Classic will help fund Feeding America and Feeding South Florida.
Over the 24 hours, Leonard will be playing Call of Duty, Fortnite, and a host of other games. He’ll be joined by other athletes, gamers and celebrity friends.
“I am blessed and thankful to have a platform that allows me to impact people in a positive way. During this very difficult and uneasy time, my goal is to bring some relief and joy to those in need,” Leonard said in a statement. “This Sunday, I will be doing a 24-hour live stream on my Twitch channel to help raise money for Feeding South Florida and Feeding America. Gaming has always been a passion of mine, and I love connecting with fans in an authentic way.”
The Heat encourages the public to donate to Feeding South Florida, which is the largest, most efficient food bank serving Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties. Donate at Heat.com/ donate.
Anthony Chiang: 305-376-4991, @Anthony_Chiang