U-Kawhi Leonard ephuma ebhentshini ebhekene neLos Angeles Clippers phezu kweLakers

I-LOS ANGELES - Ngemuva kokuphuthelwa yisizini edlule, uKawhi Leonard uthathe isinqumo sokulinda kancane ngaphambi kokubuyela eLos Angeles Clippers, okumenza abe ngumdlali obhekwe ngabomvu.
ULeonard, ojoyine iqembu okokuqala, unqume ukungaqali, enethemba lokuthi uzosisebenzisa kahle isikhathi sakhe esilinganiselwe sokudlala. Ekugcineni waqeda lapho amaClippers eshaya iLos Angeles Lakers futhi. ULeonard uthole amaphuzu angu-14, kuhlanganise ne-jumper eyi-21-foot nemizuzwana engu-52.3 esele, ekunqobeni kwe-103-97 e-Crypto.com Arena.
I-Clippers ihlule izimbangi zayo komugqa okwesishiyagalombili kulandelana, phezu kokuthi abadlali beqembu labo abazange bangene emdlalweni kwaze kwashaya u-6:25 kwikota yesibili futhi badlale imizuzu emithathu imizuzu engu-21 isiyonke.
“Sekuyisikhathi eside,” kusho uLeonard ngokuwulangazelela kwakhe umdlalo. “Kodwa ngilinde imidlalo engu-82 ngonyaka odlule, ngakho bengingalindele ukuthi imizuzu engu-15 ibe yinde kangako.”
Ku-Game 1, ngemuva kokudabula i-anterior cruciate ligament yakhe yesokudla ku-Game 4 emzuliswaneni wesibili bebhekene ne-Utah Jazz ngoJuni 14, 2021, uLeonard usebhentshini okokuqala ngqa selokhu adlalela iSan Antonio Spurs ngoNovemba 2013.
ULeonard uthe uthathe isinqumo sokungayiqali imidlalo yomkhumulajezi ngemuva kokubheka imininingwane nokusebenzisa ukulingisa ngokuzijwayeza. Bafuna ukwandisa imizuzu yakhe yokubuya, bamhlalise phansi bese beqeda umdlalo eseqophelweni eliphezulu lokushaya amagoli.
"Ngesikhathi ngiqala, ngahlala imizuzu engama-35 ngesikhathi sangempela," kusho uLeonard ngokuqala futhi ngisakwazi ukuqeda umdlalo. “Lide kakhulu. Ngakho-ke ngicabanga ukuthi yisimo esihle kakhulu. Kodwa sizobona ukuthi izinto zihamba kanjani.”
Ekugcineni wabuyela enkantolo, uLeonard akachithanga sikhathi. Wangcwaba amashothi akhe amabili okuqala, kokubili ebangeni eliphakathi, lapho evame ukuthanda khona ukulingisa.
"Owokuqala [u-Leonard] uthole i-bounce, waya ogwini futhi washaya i-patent yakhe encane," kusho u-John Wall, 15, kumdlalo wakhe wokuqala kusukela ngo-Ephreli 23, 2021. Waphonsa u-7 ku-7 futhi wathola amaphuzu angu-15 emizuzwini engu-24. . “Kuyena konke kumayelana nesigqi nesigqi.
“Ufana nomshini, usebenza ezintweni zakhe, unamathela kulokho afuna ukukwenza. Futhi ngokuyisisekelo ukuthatha njengokujima. Ungathi akaboni muntu phambi kwakhe. Konke kumayelana naye. ukunyamalala noma ukudubula.”
Amaphuzu amathathu ka-Leonard awanaso isigqi futhi u-1-for-4 evela ensimini. Kodwa wenza izinyathelo ezibalulekile, ehlaselwa nguLeBron James ngasekupheleni kwekota yesine futhi eshaya i-jumper esele ngaphansi komzuzu owodwa ngemuva kokuthi i-Lakers ivale ukuhola kwe-15 engxenyeni yesibili. khomba isigcinalwazi.
“Sengike ngakwenza lokhu ngaphambilini,” kusho uLeonard ngenkathi ehla ebhentshini. “Ngaqala kanjalo-ke umsebenzi wami. Nansi indlela engabhekana ngayo nayo ngokomqondo. Ukwenza sengathi ngisenkingeni kwathi lapho nje ngisayina kwikota yesibili kwase kuyisikhathi sokudlala i-basketball.”
ULeonard uvumile ukuthi angeke adlale okungenani umdlalo owodwa wokubuyela emuva eSacramento nasekhaya bebhekene nePhoenix kule mpelasonto.
“Kufanele udlale umzuzu nomzuzu kancane kancane ukuze uqinise i-anterior cruciate ligament,” kusho uLeonard. “Uma usuqalile ukudlala umdlalo wokuqala wemizuzu engu-38, kuba ntekenteke kalula, kodwa ngilalela udokotela.
Mayelana nokuthi uhlela ukudlala isikhathi esingakanani ebhentshini, uLeonard uthe angadinga ukwandisa imizuzu yakhe ibe yimizuzu engama-34.1 ayilinganise ngesizini ka-2020-21.
“Konke kumayelana nendlela idolo lami eliphendula ngayo,” kusho uLeonard. “Sizobona ukuthi kuzohamba kanjani kusasa bese sakha ngokuhamba kwesikhathi bese ngiqala ukwengeza eminye imizuzu futhi uma sengikulungele ukudlala imizuzu engu-35 – ngicabanga ukuthi sengidlale imizuzu engu-33 ngiwumqemane – lokho sekumayelana ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uzobona ukuthi ngizoqala kanjani."