After being injured for over two months, the Clippers' forward, Leonard, announced to the media that he is now available to return to the court. The player missed the last three games against the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the NBA playoffs due to significant inflammation in his right knee.

Leonard confessed that during the first few weeks of his absence, he doubted his participation in Paris 2024. Fortunately, thanks to his commitment to rest and physical rehabilitation exercises, his knee gradually improved until it returned to fitness in recent days. “I took my time and was able to recover in the last two weeks, so now I'm here and having fun,” he said last Sunday.

The Clippers' forward has been plagued by physical problems in recent years. Although with 68 games played this past season, he came close to surpassing his own participation records in the regular season —reaching 74 in 2017— injuries have frequently hindered Leonard in the second half of his NBA career. Indeed, he has never played a full and healthy season since joining the Clippers in 2019.

This unfortunate streak for the player with the Los Angeles team also originated in a postseason phase, when in the 2021 playoffs, he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his right knee that required surgery. The consequence was devastating: he missed the entire following season. This caused great frustration in the club, which signed Leonard five years ago after he won the NBA Finals MVP award with Toronto.

Despite his tragic injury history, the former Raptor emphasized to the press that he is far from the only player who has had bad physical luck, and added that there is nothing he can do to control such things. "Last year I tried to play as much as I could, I felt great. And at a certain point, I couldn't continue. I did the best I could, so now I'll keep going until I can't anymore."

For now, his knee is responding very well. Leonard has already participated in a couple of training sessions with the US team, always under the watchful eye of his NBA coach, Tyronn Lue. From there, his decision to play in Paris with the national team is becoming increasingly solid, and he also has the support of the Clippers. “Now I can play, so I'm happy to go there and meet so many talented players from other countries,” he said.

On the other side of the coin is Durant, who is facing what could be the first obstacle for the squad ahead of its  Olympic bid. The Phoenix Suns star is suffering from calf discomfort and has not been able to participate normally in the start of the team's preparation. “He is frustrated, he can't be out there with us,” said Suns teammate Devin Booker to ESPN.

However, Durant himself has assured internally that he does not believe the problem is serious and hopes that it does not get worse. Kerr said they want to be cautious and assess the situation day by day, so it is still unknown when the forward will return to full training, and whether he will be present in the first exhibition game the USA has against Canada next Wednesday.

The friendly match schedule is demanding before the first game in the Olympics. The team will face Canada in Las Vegas (10 July), Australia and Serbia in Abu Dhabi (15 and 17 July), and South Sudan and Germany in London (20 and 22 July).