I wish Spurs fans would drop their grudge against Kawhi Leonard. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Jose Garcia

Former but still beloved San Antonio Spur Derrick White is now officially a member of the U.S. Olympic Team’s basketball roster.

Ironically, White will replace a considerably less-adored one-time Spur, Kawhi Leonard.

Although the injury-prone Leonard had a few strong practices with the 12-member Olympic squad, USA Basketball and management from the Los Angeles Clippers — Leonard’s current team — felt it best for the two-time NBA Champion not to compete in Paris later this month, according to an online statement.

Due to a knee injury, Leonard missed four of the Clippers’ six 2024 first-round NBA playoff games against the eventual Western Conference Champion Dallas Mavericks.

Indeed, Leonard is no stranger to injuries or missed games. During his final season with the Spurs in 2017-18, the “Claw” only played nine games due to a quad injury. He then demanded a trade to Toronto, where he seemed perfectly healthy, leading the Raptors to the franchise’s first and only championship.

Meanwhile, White is coming off his best career regular season performance, averaging 15 points, 5 assist and 4 rebounds along with shooting nearly 40% from the three-point line.

White will join his fellow NBA Champion teammates Jason Tatum and Jrue Holiday on Team USA, meaning that a quarter of all the team’s members played for Boston last season.

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This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 2, 2024.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...