Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard is fouled by New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (centre) during a preseason game this on Tuesday.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Alex Wong is co-host of the Hello and Welcome podcast. His most recent book is Prehistoric: The Audacious and Improbable Origin Story of the Toronto Raptors.
Earlier this summer, the Toronto Raptors held a press conference to officially announce Kyle Lowry’s retirement. A celebratory mood permeated the team’s practice facility where the event was held. The locker room was decorated with photographs, game-worn jerseys and a treasure trove of memorabilia celebrating the star point guard’s greatest moments with the team. As the greatest Raptor of all time prepared to address the media, friends, family and former colleagues on hand, Lowry’s former teammate Kawhi Leonard casually strolled in to take a seat. A few days earlier, the Raptors had agreed to – but not yet completed – a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers to bring Leonard back to the city he delivered a championship to seven years ago.
Leonard gets warm welcome in Raptors’ re-debut
The parallels are almost too on-the-nose for this second go round. Once again, the Raptors have fallen short in the postseason, without any available path for a significant roster upgrade. And once again, Leonard became available at a reasonable price, making the acquisition a no-brainer. But that’s where the parallels end.
Back in 2018, when Leonard was traded to the Raptors – before the championship and unforgettable parade through downtown Toronto, before he had an entire country rooting for a basketball team, before the shot and all the other on-court memories he created during the magical playoff run – Leonard had come to Toronto reluctantly, as it is believed he wanted to be traded from the San Antonio Spurs to Los Angeles instead.
He kept the entire city at arms length during his one year in Toronto, remained non-committal about re-signing with the team when his contract expired at the end of the season, and rarely gave us a glimpse into his personal life, leaving fans to spend the year desperately searching for clues that might indicate his intentions. When Leonard decided to return home and join the Clippers just weeks after he gave a proverbial last laugh at the parade, the guarded superstar had accomplished everything he could with the team, yet somehow left without ever connecting with the city and the fanbase.
If you asked me to describe Toronto as a sports city, I would say we are a bit – okay, a lot – insecure. We’re always looking for validation, for ourselves and for our city, through the pro athletes we root for. Since the beginning, Raptors fans have reckoned with the fact that players have always viewed Toronto as a layover, not a landing spot. Our first superstar, Damon Stoudamire, requested a trade after two and a half seasons and was sent home to Portland. Vince Carter sank an entire era of the franchise when his trade demands were met. Chris Bosh was a perennial All-Star who took less money to win championships in Miami. Even Leonard won the title in Toronto and still decided to leave a perfect basketball situation to return home.
Kawhi Leonard spoke to reporters at the Toronto Raptors’ season-opening media day and says he just wants to focus on basketball after he and the Los Angeles Clippers were investigated for salary cap circumvention.
The Canadian Press
It’s why we fall for players like Lowry, and DeMar DeRozan – the rare ones who loudly pledge their allegiance to the city, and allow us to experience the ups and downs of the season in a way that feels more than just watching a bunch of guys hoop for 48 minutes a night. It’s why Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is still beloved even after a disastrous season and some ill-timed comments to the media. He has always made the “Toronto” on the front of his jersey matter. Here in Toronto, we don’t simply anoint players because they helped raise their franchises to new heights. We embrace them because they acknowledge the city in return. They understand the implied agreement between themselves and the fans as part of being a star in Toronto.
Even as Leonard was showered with love – in the form of plants, New Balance T-shirt sales, and offers of free meals across the city – he left everyone feeling a little bit empty. Sure, it’s a bit hard to ask for more from a guy who delivered the franchise’s only championship, but it was the most glaring missing piece of the Kawhi experience the first time around.
It looks like he might be filling in those blanks in his return. He has already expressed more about his desire to be part of the city and the franchise’s future than when he first arrived eight years ago, has been more engaged with coaches and teammates, and on media day on the eve of training camp, he was more open with journalists than ever before.
Leonard joked about being the “fun guy.” He shared an anecdote about his kid – who was born in Canada – being excited to see the Maple Leaf flag again. He talked about the importance of helping the next generation of hoopers in the country through his involvement with local basketball gyms and camps. He praised the team’s roster and expressed his desire, after signing a contract extension after the trade finally became official, to have a much longer stay with the franchise, and potentially retire as a Raptor.
Opinion: Kawhi Leonard’s return gives the Raptors a presence they haven’t had since 2019
Listen, you can be cynical about this reunion. Leonard needed a place to land after he was part of a league-mandated investigation into salary cap circumvention, and according to reports, received millions of dollars in a number of questionable sponsorship deals. After burning his relationships in both San Antonio and Los Angeles, Toronto was the perfect spot for him to rebuild both his reputation and give him a chance to complete a legacy with a single NBA team. Perhaps this is, once again, a marriage of convenience. But we don’t need to be on pins and needles. Leonard is starring in an improbable sequel, but, this time, it feels like he actually wants the role.
The Raptors have spent most of their history searching for the superstar who would choose Toronto as much as Toronto chose him. That history is part of why this reunion feels so significant. For once, the superstar who left is the one who came back. We don’t know what the next few years will look like, and expecting another 2019 would be asking for something close to a miracle. But maybe the point is that we’re getting something different this time: We’re getting Kawhi Leonard in Toronto – on his own terms.
There’s always a danger in reunions. They may just remind you that you’re chasing something that doesn’t exist anymore, like high-school friends you shared the most wonderful memories with who are now all at different stages in their lives. But in this particular case, Kawhi Leonard’s reunion with the Raptors doesn’t need to surpass the original. And maybe the best part of his return to Toronto isn’t what he does on the court at all. It’s that, after everything that happened the first time, he finally seems to understand that being a Raptor is about more than what he accomplished in a single postseason.
He already gave this city its greatest basketball memory. Now, seven years later, he’s ready to try to add a few more chapters to what we thought was a finished story. That’s a sequel worth waiting for.