"What happened to getting Bronny James" - NBA fans in frenzy as Kawhi Leonard joins Team USA Basketball roster amid injury concerns

LA Clippers' forward Kawhi Leonard has been announced as the 12th man for Team USA's roster for the upcoming Paris Olympics as per Jeff Zillgitt. Many were excited to hear who was going to be added to an already stacked collection of talent after the first 11 players were officially announced about 24 hours ago.

Kawhi joins a star-studded roster that features LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, Jrue Holiday, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Devin Booker and Joel Embiid.

Fans were quick to share their opinions on this announcement, with some deciding to take a humorous approach.

"What happen to getting Bronny James. Kawhi coming off the bench tho," @NYCDaFuture posted on X.

Other fans expressed their concerns, considering that Kawhi has a history of being injured and is in fact, dealing with some health questions coming into the Playoffs.

"They gave the last spot to somebody that's NEVER healthy," tweeted @Jmike_Rockaway.

"Dude probably miss the playoffs but playing for Team USA?" wondered @vanman_1000.

X user @AndyJPuente thinks this is indicative of his status for the upcoming Playoffs, saying, "If he’s healthy enough to commit to the Olympics then he’s definitely playing in the playoffs lfg."

Meanwhile, others can't help but be excited that Team USA is adding one of the most elite two-way players when he is healthy.

"Finna be the best player on the team," shared @FeelLikeDrew

"They are officially elite," said @ClawWRLD.

There is no question that Team USA's roster already has a lot of promise even before Kawhi Leonard was announced as the final addition. If they can find a way to gel together under Steve Kerr, then they will be a formidable opponent.

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Kawhi Leonard's status for the first round of NBA Playoffs is still questionable

The LA Clippers battled back after a slow start to secure the fourth seed in the Western Conference and The Klaw played a major role in that.

His play on both ends of the floor has been at an elite level which helped him secure another spot in the All-Star team and he was able to play in more games this season than any other year since joining the Clippers.

However, Kawhi missed the last eight games of the regular season due to an inflammation of the right knee. The same knee where he tore an ACL which caused him to miss the entire 2021-22 season.

The Clippers' first game against the Dallas Mavericks for the first round will be on Sunday, Apr. 21 and fans of both the Clippers and the Mavs will be waiting for any updates regarding Kawhi Leonard's status between now and then.

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How does Kawhi Leonard fit into Team USA's roster?

Even before Kawhi Leonard's addition to the roster, Team USA already had plenty of wing-type players in LeBron James, Jayson Tatum and Kevin Durant.

However, none of these three forwards can play defense the same way that Kawhi does. He also has an array of offensive moves that make him an elite three-level scorer on his best day.

His talents allow him to fit into almost any lineup and he could be used heavily to be a ball-stopper, especially against teams that have dominant ball-handlers.

One of Team USA's forwards will need to take up fewer minutes than they're used to but with positionless basketball and the expertise of Steve Kerr, this team has all the tools to make this roster work.