Kendrick Perkins' push for Kawhi Leonard to retire draws fiery response from his peers
Kendrick Perkins recently suggested that Kawhi Leonard should consider retirement. Throughout Leonard's 12-year NBA career, he has never played a full season with any team he suited up for. His highest number of games played in a season was 74 in 2016-17 with the San Antonio Spurs.
Leonard has faced persistent health issues throughout his career, especially after his championship run with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. This has led to his teams implementing load management strategies. Citing these instances, Perkins, the former NBA player-turned-analyst, believes it's time for Leonard to hang up his boots, saying:
"I really think Kawhi Leonard should consider retiring."
Other former NBA stars Chandler Parsons and Lou Williams disagreed with Perkins. During a segment on "Run It Back," the two veterans shared their perspectives on Perkins' remarks about Leonard. Williams said the decision to retire isn't Perkins' to make.
"I don't think it's Perk's or anybody else's place to say when it's time to retire," Williams said. "When you're fighting for your career, when you're fighting to try to do things the right way, that's up to you to decide."
Parsons echoed Williams' sentiments by saying:
"He's not the guy to be telling a first ballot Hall of Famer when he should hang it up or not."
Does Kawhi Leonard still have gas left in the tank?
Since joining the LA Clippers in the 2019-20 season, Kawhi Leonard has been placed under load management to avoid serious injuries during the regular season games and ensure his availability come the playoffs. While many fans and analysts criticize this strategy, there's a valid reason for it.
Throughout Leonard's career, he has suffered several major injuries such as a torn ACL in his right knee during the 2021 NBA Playoffs. This led to him missing the entire 2021-22 season and the Clippers being more careful in handling him.
Last season, Leonard averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals in 68 regular-season games. He notched these numbers with an efficient 41.7% shooting from beyond the arc and 52.5% shooting overall.
Looking at his stats alone, it's clear that Leonard still has what it takes to be an All-Star in the league. Despite Paul George leaving LA, the Clippers still have pieces that can help them go deep in the playoffs.
Kawhi Leonard must also step up and show that he's far from retirement talk for the Clippers to contend in the tough Western Conference.