Executive director Grant Hill said the decision to send Kawhi Leonard home from training camp and replace him with Derrick White for the upcoming Olympics ultimately rested with Team USA.
"We just felt that we had to pivot, and not to get into the particulars, in terms of what went into the decision, but we just felt it was in our best interest, but also in the Clippers' and Kahwi's best interest, to move into a different direction," Hill said Wednesday evening in a news conference before Team USA's first exhibition game against Team Canada at T-Mobile Arena."We tried.
"I think he wanted to be here, like all these guys want to be here, and we don't take that lightly at all," Hill said."It speaks to the program and the opportunity, and so, personally speaking, I know what it's like to want to do something and your body's just not right. And I've lived that personally. And so I applaud him for coming here and being willing to sacrifice, give up his summer and represent our country and play for our program.
"You get 12 spots, and you have to build a team," Hill said."And one of the hardest things is leaving people off the roster that I'm a fan of that I look forward to watching throughout the season, throughout the playoffs. Guys who've been, um, Finals MVPs, guys who've been a part of the program, guys who've won gold medals, guys who I respect, admire and enjoy watching.
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