In the wake of critical comments about Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers television analyst Bruce Bowen will not be returning for this upcoming season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski:
Bowen was under contract with Fox Sports West, but the Clippers — like every organization — have significant input into the hiring of television broadcast talents and withheld approval on extending his contract, sources said.
The sides were expected to move forward on a new deal before Bowen’s public comments on Leonard, sources said. Bowen declined comment when reached on Monday.
The Clippers tried to deal for Kawhi before he was traded to the Toronto Raptors in July, and are prepared to pursue him in free agency next summer. Back on June 22, here’s what Bowen told Sirius XM Radio about Leonard, who missed almost the entire 2017-18 season due to injury:
“I think there’s nothing but excuses going on. First, it was, ‘Well I was misdiagnosed.’ Look here: You got $18 million this year, and you think that they’re trying to rush you? You didn’t play for the most part a full season this year. And you’re the go-to guy, you’re the franchise, and you want to say that they didn’t have your best interest at heart? Are you kidding me?”
“I think he’s getting bad advice. I think what you’re starting to see now is an individual given a certain amount of advice and it’s not the right advice. Here it is: You were protected in San Antonio. You were able to come up during a time where you still could lean on Tim [Duncan], Tony [Parker] and Manu [Ginobili].”
