Kawhi Leonard was in the Los Angeles Clippers鈥� facility on Monday. That wasn鈥檛 exactly a surprise development.
The news was his attire. He was wearing a basketball uniform. Finally.
Welcome back, Kawhi. You too, Denver鈥檚 Jamal Murray, Brooklyn鈥檚 Ben Simmons, New Orleans鈥� Zion Williamson, the Clippers鈥� John Wall and plenty of others around the NBA.
As training camps open around the NBA 鈥� most teams start practice Tuesday 鈥� it marks the long-awaited return to work for some of the league鈥檚 biggest names who couldn鈥檛 play last season because of injury or other issues.
鈥淚鈥檓 blessed to be healthy, blessed to be walking up the stairs and not thinking about it,鈥� said Murray, the Nuggets' high-scoring guard who tore his left ACL in April 2021. 鈥淚鈥檝e come a long way.鈥�
He鈥檚 not alone.
Leonard tore his right ACL during a playoff game with the Clippers in June 2021. Williamson missed the entirety of last season while dealing with a foot injury and other setbacks. 鈥� he wasn鈥檛 in the Rockets鈥� rebuilding plans 鈥� and recently revealed that years of battling injuries also Same goes for Simmons, who didn鈥檛 play last year for Philadelphia or Brooklyn following his trade there while dealing with his own mental health issues.
Yet here they are, eager for a new season. Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, said he'll be participating in training camp and is hoping to make it through the regular season with no limitations.
鈥淚t's been 14 months of me just trying to better myself and just trying to focus on my overall body," Leonard said. 鈥淵eah, I'm excited. I'm tired of going through these rehab workouts and listening to doctors and trainers for the most part 鈥� even though I'm still going to have to going forward."
Williamson 鈥� an absolute force when he鈥檚 healthy 鈥� said he鈥檚 feeling great, moving faster and jumping higher. Physically, he's at his best again.
鈥淚鈥檝e never dealt with a (layoff) like this,鈥� said Williamson, who hasn鈥檛 seen any NBA action since May 4, 2021. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a long time without playing a game. But my excitement level is through the roof. I鈥檓 just ready to get back on the court.鈥�
Leonard, Wall, Williamson and Murray were all among the players listed as inactive for all 82 of their team鈥檚 games last season. For Golden State鈥檚 James Wiseman, who had a knee injury, it was even more 鈥� 82 in the regular season, 22 more in the playoffs. The Warriors had 104 games in their run to the NBA championship.
He, too, sought some mental help to get through not being able to play.
鈥淚t was a hard time for me, especially going through that injury because I love basketball so much,鈥� Wiseman said. 鈥淚 just want to be out there with my team. When I wasn鈥檛 out there, it was very hard for me, but I just pushed through. I got that resilience just to keep going. It鈥檚 in my DNA, and I鈥檓 not going to ever gave up no matter how hard the situation is.鈥�
with Philadelphia in 2021, then fallout from the widespread belief that he didn鈥檛 want to play last season. He said he鈥檚 gotten to a better mental place and is set to finally play again with the Nets.
鈥淓verybody has dark days,鈥� Simmons said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e able to address it and work toward getting to a place where you need to be. That鈥檚 where I am. For me, I work on myself every day.鈥�
He pronounced himself ready to go. For others, the wait continues.
T.J. Warren 鈥� then of Indiana, now of Brooklyn 鈥� and were both newsmakers in the restart bubble in 2020. Warren scored 53 points in his bubble debut that season, had three other games where he scored at least 32, but has played in exactly four games since, the last of those on Dec. 29, 2020.
鈥淚鈥檓 healed,鈥� Warren said, 鈥渂ut not cleared.鈥�
Isaac is in a similar situation. He hurt his left knee on Jan. 1, 2020 in a game at Washington. He returned and played two games in the bubble seven months later, blew out out his left ACL in the second of those appearances, had other setbacks along the way in recovery and hasn鈥檛 played since. Out of Orlando鈥檚 last 198 games, Isaac has appeared in exactly two, and he isn鈥檛 yet ready for 5-on-5, either.
Isaac relies on his faith, saying Monday it has gotten him through the dark moments of rehab. Isaac also wrote a book in the interim about his faith and his decision to stand for the national anthem in the bubble as a sign of peaceful protest.
鈥淚 know I鈥檓 supposed to play basketball for a reason,鈥� Isaac said. 鈥淎t each step, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel getting bigger and bigger. I know I鈥檓 going to play this season. It鈥檚 just a matter of when.鈥�
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AP Sports Writers Pat Graham in Denver and Brett Martel in New Orleans contributed to this report.
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Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
