Dray points out the brutal irony of Perk claiming Kawhi should retire originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Draymond Green did not hold back his criticism of ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins’ suggestion that Kawhi Leonard retire from the NBA.
The Golden State superstar criticized Perkins about “Draymond’s Green Show“for saying Leonard should hang him because of Recurrent knee injuries.
“The moment was when Kendrick Perkins told Kawhi Leonard that he needed to retire,” Green told Davis. “I was taken aback when I heard him say that because, as an athlete, I think knowing that a guy that people question has cheated in the game.
“But clearly, if you look at this, this is what has happened over time. The man hasn’t cheated in the game, he’s improved since he came to the NBA, he’s improved at everything: ball handling, shooting, you name it. And he started getting hurt, he won championships, he hasn’t been the healthiest guy. “People wonder if he was really faking it or not, and clearly the man wasn’t faking it.”
Leonard has drawn the wrath of many around the league for his approach, missing games to rest his body and manage recurring injuries. Since signing with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019, Leonard still has to get dressed during an entire 82-game regular season.
With the 33-year-old missing more games due to his knee problems, Perkins and others have wondered if he should consider retiring, something that doesn’t sit well with Green.
“To hear Perk say, ‘Yeah, he needs to retire, he needs to consider retiring,’ I thought it was crazy,” Green continued. “Because Perk, in his last three years in the NBA, no one was pressuring him to retire. and everyone probably should have done it. The man averaged 2.5 points (per game) for three years in a row and no one was pressuring you to retire.
“Guys like (LeBron James) and (Kevin Durant) would actually invite him to their teams, like they were cheering him on. And pushing this man to retire, like obviously the man wanted to play.”
When healthy, Leonard remains one of the league’s elite players, capable of dominating a game through sheer force of will. However, recurring knee problems in recent seasons have made it difficult for him to stay on the court for any significant amount of time.
The eaves remain out indefinitely with knee inflammation and will not start when the Clippers begin the 2024-25 NBA season on Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns.
Green respects Leonard’s physical style of play and bristled at the idea that anyone else should have a say in his NBA destiny.
The Warriors are scheduled to play the Clippers four times during the 2024-25 season, although it remains to be seen if Leonard will be available for any of those contests. If not, Green won’t be too gutted about it.
