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How the Raptors’ love for Kawhi Leonard reflects Clipper Nation

By Joey Linn

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 13: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors speaks with the media following his teams victory over the Golden State Warriors to winGame Six of the 2019 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 13, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 13: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors speaks with the media following his teams victory over the Golden State Warriors to winGame Six of the 2019 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 13, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Clippers
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) – Kawhi Leonard /

Fun Guy in Toronto

When Kawhi arrived in Toronto, nobody knew exactly what to expect. With a guy of his persona, how could one truly know what was to come?

The only foreknowledge that the Raptors and their fans had on Kawhi, was that he’s one of the league’s best players, he’s coming off an injury that held him to just nine games, and his heart is in Southern California. Definitely nothing to worry about right?

Any skepticism from the Toronto faithful was justified because there was seemingly too much that could go wrong. Throw in the fact that this was just a one-year guaranteed partnership, and a feeling of unease was prevalent among the city of Toronto.

DeMar DeRozan was the sacrificial lamb in the deal for Kawhi, and it was no easy task for the Raptors when it came to departing with DeRozan. At that time, DeMar had spent the entirety of his nine-year career in Toronto, leading them to the playoffs in five of those years, including an Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 2016.

Those were the logistics that surrounded the skepticism in Toronto; however, all of those and more were evaporating with every next day that Kawhi Leonard was a Raptor. The idea that he may just mail in this one-year obligation to the Raptors before splitting for SoCal, was quickly shut down with his play on the court.

During the 2018-19 regular season, Kawhi Leonard averaged a career-high 26.6 PPG, while leading the Raptors to the 2nd best record out East. That regular-season run was special, but his place atop Canadian immortality would be solidified in the months to come.

There is no shortage of words to describe Kawhi’s 2019 playoff run, so let’s settle by simply calling it one of the greatest ever. That is no hyperbole, as Kawhi’s 732 points ranked 3rd all-time in a single playoff run, trailing the historic 2018 run from LeBron James, and of course the 1992 run from Michael Jordan.

Even greater than the stats, were the individual moments. The shot heard around the world, or the shot that bounced around the world, however it may be described, is an all-time NBA moment. Kawhi’s playoff run was full of such moments, and the greatest of those was the final hoisting of the Larry O.B. at mid-court of Oracle Arena.

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