Clippers Fined $50K Because Doc Rivers Said Kawhi Leonard Feels Great
By Stephen Douglas | Nov 07 2019
The Great Load Management Debate of 2019 continued on Thursday as the NBA fined the Los Angeles Clippers $50,000. According to the New York Times, the fine was “for statements, including by head coach Doc Rivers, that were inconsistent with Leonard’s health status.” So what happened? Here's Woj.
Rivers said: “He feels great. But he feels great because of what we’ve been doing. We’re just going to continue to do it. There’s no concern here. But we want to make sure. I think Kawhi made a statement that he’s never felt better. It’s our job to make sure he stays that way..."
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 7, 2019
So basically, the Clippers got a doctor's note saying Kawhi is hurt and then Doc Rivers said that Kawhi actually feels pretty good. Meanwhile, Kawhi is expected to play tonight because, well, he's healthy enough to play. Here's Woj's explanation.
Here's a view of what happened: Kawhi Leonard is private. He doesn't want his injury information public. Only, it has to be public for the Clippers to escape league punishment on violating resting rules. Doc Rivers was trying to be supportive of Leonard. They'll take the fine.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 8, 2019
This is all too much. Kawhi is leading the Clippers with 29.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.3 steals in 30.5 minutes a game. He's resting on the second night of back-to-backs to minimize wear and tear. It's only a matter of time until the Clippers try to play the HIPAA card.