The Los Angeles Clippers spent $2 billion to build the exquisite, state-of-the-art Intuit Dome, only to watch Bay Area fans hijack the energy in the biggest game of the year. Kawhi Leonard and the squad couldn’t help but give up their arsenal and collapse in the fourth quarter.
This 126-121 loss was a big slap in their faces. Leonard was held to 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting, largely thanks to Draymond Green restricting him every step he took. Like us all, Shannon Sharpe was looking at it all, and on the Nightcap podcast, he delivered his final verdict on the entire Clippers era. We don’t know if it is over, but it sure isn’t pretty!
Shannon Sharpe Breaks Down Why Kawhi Leonard’s Clippers Era Deserves an F
When Leonard signed with the Clippers in 2019, expectations were not just playoffs; it was a championship. Time and again, expectations have risen, and time and again, he has shattered them.
Leonard wasn’t a normal NBA star. He was a two-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, and a back-to-back DPOY winner, and a 7x All-Star; hopes were high. The Clippers were immediately title favorites. Everyone thought Steve Ballmer had finally found his cornerstone. Seven years later, the Clippers are a big question mark.
Sharpe went all out on Leonard, grading him a big “F”, and he had all the reasons ready.
“He got eliminated in the second round. He made conference finals once, a play-in tournament, eliminated in the first round, the first round, the first round, the first round, the play-in.”
Then came the bubble. “When they was in the bubble and had the 3-1 lead, that should’ve given the man something… Everybody was healthy. 3-1 on Denver in the Bubble… alone, that right there should do a number on him.”
And then came his final blow regarding the devastating loss at the hands of the Warriors. “You lost the play-in on the home court!”
Unc gives Kawhi Leonard an “F” on his tenure as a Clipper 👀😳
“Up 3-1 on Denver in The Bubble and losing, that right there should do a number on him.” @ShannonSharpe | @ochocinco | @TheJoeJohnson7 | #Nightcap pic.twitter.com/92ufKc1F12
— Nightcap (@NightcapShow_) April 16, 2026
His co-hosts did question Sharpe’s strong take on Leonard, defending him at times, saying everything is circumstantial. His teammates weren’t supportive, he had injuries, others on the team got injured, and much more. But Sharpe really stood his ground. He had an explicit standard set in his mind, and he wasn’t willing to budge.
He explained that it all came down to one thing: “What were the expectations vs what actually happened.”
Sharpe wasn’t grading every player with the same mindset. He was grading Leonard with this mindset. “Everyone wasn’t a two-time Finals MVP. Everyone wasn’t a two-time Defensive Player of the Year. Everybody isn’t in the top 75 in the history of the NBA. You have to grade certain players differently.”
And records do back up Sharpe’s claim.
Season by season, the Clippers era tells a painful story.
- 2019-20: Made the playoffs, beat the Mavericks in Round 1, then blew a 3-1 lead to the Nuggets in the second round. Leonard and Paul George combined for 24 points and 10 rebounds in the collapse.
- 2020-21: Made the playoffs, won Round 1 against the Mavericks in seven, then Leonard tore his ACL in the second round against the Jazz. The Clippers reached the conference finals without him and lost to the Suns. (That conference finals appearance Sharpe references, Leonaard wasn’t on the floor for any of it.)
- 2021-22: Leonard missed the entire season. The Clippers missed the playoffs.
- 2022-23: Made the playoffs. Leonard played two games in Round 1 against the Suns before suffering a torn meniscus. Eliminated in the first round.
- 2023-24: Made the playoffs. Leonard played two games in Round 1 against the Mavericks before going down again. Eliminated in the first round.
- 2024-25: Made the playoffs. Went seven games against the Nuggets in Round 1. Lost. Eliminated in the first round.
- 2025-26: Eliminated in the play-in at home by a 37-45 Warriors team that had lost 15 of its previous 20 games.
Now, that’s one second-round exit, three first-round exits, a missed season, and two play-in appearances. One of them is a loss at home. Sharpe’s case is really difficult to argue against on these facts alone.
What Comes Next For Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers?
Well, Leonard turns 35 years old in June. He’s also entering the final year of his contract. After this loss, he acknowledged the questions about his future with the team, but wasn’t ready to address them.
“Let me cry about this loss a little bit more,” he said. “We’re gonna have our discussions when that time comes.”
This season was going great for him as a scorer. 27.9 points on 50.5% shooting, one of the best in his 15-year NBA career. He played 65 games, qualified for the awards, and had no injuries or complications.
“I had no headaches with it the past two years,” he said. “I feel like my body’s in a good place.”
Rumors are flooding the market regarding his future. While some say he and the Clippers organization are set to part ways, others say the Clippers can still offer him a two-year extension worth up to $126.1 million after the NBA Finals.
Whether they will and whether Leonard even wants it is the key question here.
Added to all these woes is the NBA’s Aspiration scandal investigation that still remains unsolved. That can also affect his standing in LA.
The franchise will look to transition now, considering all these mounting losses. They will look to build a future that may not include Leonard at all, but a collection of draft picks.
