Nov 17, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1, left) and Kawhi Leonard (right) watch the game against the Utah Jazz from the bench during the fourth quarter at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

'I Feel Sorry for Him' – Los Angeles Clippers Head Coach Makes Eye-Opening Kawhi Leonard Admission

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated Aug 28, 2025 11:56 PM ET

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue recently dispelled the notion that Kawhi Leonard only plays when he pleases, saying that the latter is one of the hardest-working players he has ever coached.

Lue admitted that he “feels sorry” for the Los Angeles Clippers forward. Lue knows that Leonard wants to play as many games as possible to help the team, but can’t due to his injury history.

“I feel sorry for him, you know? Because all the work he puts in – we see it every day. And just what it takes to get on the floor on a consistent basis – it takes a lot for him to get out there. And so it’s not like he’s wanting to sit out and miss games,” Tyronn Lue said on Club Shay Shay. “He puts the work in every single day. And the grind that he has to do to even get on the floor to play – it’s just tough.”

May 3, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets during game seven of the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

“We’ve got to protect him from himself. Because you know, sometimes he wants to play back-to-backs. And it’s just tough because he’s not a guy that wants to sit out. Not wanting to play. His whole mindset is to win championships – and that’s what he wants to do,” he reiterated.

Los Angeles Clippers News: Kawhi Leonard has drawn inspiration from Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant

In the same interview, Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said that he tried to instill the lessons he learned from playing with Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant in Kawhi Leonard.

Apr 26, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the LA Clippers during game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

“When I first got here, I went down to San Diego a couple of summers and just worked with him and showed him the moves and the routines that me and Jordan did every single morning,” Lue narrated.

“We got it down, and I just showed him all the different things that I learned from Jordan and Kobe. Just the footwork and stuff. He picked it up and really embraces it,” he added.