"I was injured": Kawhi Leonard insinuates NBA is "mocking" his time in Toronto with new rules

Kawhi Leonard was the first player who used load management to stay healthy during the season. This happened during his time with the Toronto Raptors (2018-19) and continued during his stint with the LA Clippers (beginning in 2019). However, the NBA has changed the Player Participation Policy in an effort to contain load management.

During the Clippers' media day, the two-time champion and Finals MVP addressed these changes and defended his load management, citing his injuries as the reason for missing games.

"When I was with the Raptors, it was different," Leonard said, via Tomer Azarly of Clutchpoints. "I was coming off an injury. … If the NBA is trying to mock that, then they should stop. Other than that, if I’m able to play, I’ll play basketball."

This is not the first time that the Clippers superstar addressed his load management. During his first season with the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard shared his disappointment after the league fined the Clippers for comments that then-Clippers coach Doc Rivers made about his player's status.

"It’s just disappointing," the 32-year-old superstar had said, via USA Today Sports. "It feels like they want players to play even if they’re not ready. I don’t read into it. I have to do what will make me healthy and help the team be successful. That’s me being able to play basketball games for us."

Kawhi Leonard expected to play more games this season amid load management rule changes

After dealing with injuries in his final years with the San Antonio Spurs, Kawhi Leonard relied on load management to stay healthy in the season. In his lone season with the Raptors, he appeared in 60 of 82 regular season games. That helped him be at his best in the postseason, leading the franchise to the title.

With the Clippers, he missed an entire year with an ACL injury (2021-22). In between, he hasn't played in more than 57 games in a season. He has appeared in 57 (2019-20), 52 (2020-21) and 52 (2022-23) games, due to injuries and load management.

In an effort to increase star players' participation, the league imposed stricter rules during the offseason to contain load management. For example, a team can't rest more than one superstar per game, while players will be ineligible for the major awards if they play less than 65 games.

"This is ultimately about the fans. And that we’ve taken this (load management) too far," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said a couple of weeks ago, via NBA.com. "This is an acknowledgment that it has gotten away from us a bit.

"That doesn’t mean we were turning the clock back, that players are expected to play through injuries or that players never need rest. But there’s a statement of a principle in this league that, if you’re a healthy player, you’re going to play."

Now fully healthy after a knee injury he sustained in the 2023 NBA playoffs, Kawhi Leonard is expected to lead the way for the Clippers, as coach Tyronn Lue wants to see him and fellow superstar Paul George have their first full season together.

"They’re both on track to be 100% by the time training camp starts, and that’s what we need," Tyronn Lue said on Monday's edition of the "#thisleague UNCUT" podcast, via FOX Sports. "You know, our best players will be healthy, and we’ve just been in an unfortunate situation where our two best players (haven’t had) a full season together the last three years, and that’s been tough on us.

"We have to, like I say, start respecting the regular season and giving our fans what they want to see and playing hard every single night, putting our best product on the floor."

Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers will open the regular season against the Portland Trail Blazers on Oct. 25.