The superstar who brought Toronto its first NBA title is heading back to a city he never planned to call home, with a legacy ready to be reframed.
Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors are running it back. One of the defining players of his generation is reuniting with the franchise he lifted to NBA glory, and the move gives him a chance to change how his career is remembered.
Go back to the summer of 2018 and this pairing looked unlikely. Leonard arrived in Toronto visibly unsettled, reportedly with no desire to be there, and he introduced himself with a guarded line about how much more people would have to ask before he'd reveal anything about himself. He had split with the San Antonio Spurs, one of the most respected organizations in sports, after a disagreement over how to handle an injury that cost him all but nine games of the 2017-18 season. The Los Angeles native wanted to land in Southern California.
Toronto gambled anyway. The Raptors sent franchise cornerstone DeMar DeRozan to San Antonio for a single year of an injured, unhappy Leonard, a trade that could have wrecked the franchise. Instead it paid off. Leonard powered one of the great playoff runs in league history, averaging 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals, and delivered the Raptors' first championship.
The title earned him a second Finals MVP, to go with the one he won with the Spurs in 2014. Now he returns to the place where his story took its biggest turn. The first stint was defined by uncertainty, tension and a banner. This time, Leonard has the opportunity to shape the narrative on his own terms.
