American News: Xiaoka s team concealed the operation from the US men s basketball team last year, and the latter was shocked when he learned about it

Today ESPN reporter Baxter Holmes wrote an article about the Clippers and Leonard.

In 2024, Leonard was originally selected for the 12-man roster of the US men's basketball team to compete in the Paris Olympics, but eventually chose to withdraw. It is reported that the reason for his withdrawal was due to chronic knee soreness and inflammation.

Baxter Holmes revealed more details in his article.

It is reported that Leonard originally wanted to represent the US men's basketball team to play in the Paris Olympics. In mid-April, the US men's basketball team announced that he was selected for the 12-man roster, believing that he could limit almost any key opponent in international arena, including Jokic of Serbia. However, considering his knee inflammation, the US men's basketball team is not sure whether he can recover from health, but they did not learn until the end of June that Leonard actually underwent surgery in early May, but the news was not made public until a few months later.

U.S. men's basketball officials were shocked that they learned about the operation only afterwards, especially the training camp will be opened in Las Vegas in early July.

In training camp, a watcher revealed that Leonard looked "slow and struggling".

Clippers coach Tyron Lu, then assistant coach of the US men's basketball team, told the US men's basketball officials that Leonard knew his body best and would not play if he felt it was not possible, but he did want to play. Frank, president of Clippers basketball operations, also emphasized this, but the US men's basketball team still did not believe it.

An insider said: "Some people think that Leonard thinks he can come here to rest for three weeks and then be ready to play the Olympics." But the US men's basketball team could not accept it, and Celtics guard Derek White eventually replaced Leonard and won the Olympic gold medal with the team. Sources said that U.S. men's basketball officials regretted the progress of the matter, but they also knew that Leonard's team did not truthfully inform the operation and recovery, and everything was shrouded in secret.

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