The homecoming: Kawhi Leonard's second act in Toronto as he returns north

[p]It was Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals - the winner would advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, while the loser would head home. There was no tomorrow, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/toronto-raptors/CxtbCMdU/"]Toronto's[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leonard-kawhi/d4zqZuLO/"]Kawhi Leonard[/a] knew it. The forward broke free at the top of the key and caught the inbound pass.[/p][p]Without wasting even half of a second, he quickly turned around and attacked downhill, going to his right, stronger hand. As he was trying to break free, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/philadelphia-76ers/vwRW2QSh/"]76ers[/a] doubled him; with two defenders on him, Leonard pulled up in the right corner and released a fadeaway jumper that barely beat the buzzer. As soon as he let it fly, the red light around the backboard illuminated, signaling the end of the contest. The ball hit the side of the rim and bounced on in four times before falling through, giving the Raptors a dramatic two-point victory.[/p][embed guid="b5243d14-740d-43cb-bdf2-69a6088014c7" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVpWuCyZndA" social-type="youtube" /][p]The arena in Toronto erupted in celebration as the home team edged Philadelphia in a thriller to advance to the Conference Finals. Leonard’s game-winner is still one of the most iconic shots in NBA history and remains the only Game 7 series-winning buzzer-beater in NBA playoff history.[/p][p]The Raptors reached the Finals, outlasting the Golden State Warriors in six games to claim their first-ever NBA championship. Leonard averaged 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.7 steals per game in the 2019 playoffs. He was named the Finals MVP.[/p][h2]Physical beast and defensive nightmare[/h2][p]Leonard played two collegiate seasons at San Diego State before entering the 2011 NBA Draft. The Indiana Pacers selected him with the 15th overall pick before trading him to the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-antonio-spurs/IwmkErSH/"]San Antonio Spurs[/a] later that night.[/p][p]The California native entered the league with an unusual profile. He wasn't known for his offensive game but earned praise for his relentless work ethic and nonstop motor. Physically, Leonard was a specimen, standing 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan and enormous 11-inch hands. He quickly established himself as one of the league's premier perimeter defenders.[/p][p]He quickly proved himself in San Antonio, starting 39 and appearing in 64 games. As a rookie, he averaged 7.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists, finishing fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting. In his second season, he helped the Spurs reach the NBA Finals, but they ultimately bowed to LeBron James & the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/miami-heat/CQ7AXnT5/"]Miami Heat[/a], losing the crown in 7 games.[/p][embed guid="b2a0d087-bd35-45b1-9548-58065ae53307" url="https://x.com/UnderdogNBA/status/2072045905478656336" social-type="twitter" /][p]The rising star let the loss fuel his fire – he came back stronger, playing like a poised veteran in just his third year in Texas. He finished the regular season averaging 12.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.7 steals while shooting 52.2 % from the field and 37.9 % from deep.[/p][p]For the first time, he earned a spot on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. The first-seeded Spurs fought their way to the Finals once again, just like the Heat. But this time, San Antonio dominated the series, beating Miami 4-1.[/p][p]Leonard became the main character, and after recording 17.8 points on 61 % shooting from the floor, he was named the Finals MVP.[/p][p]At just 22 years old, he became the third-youngest player ever to win the award, behind only Magic Johnson, who captured it at ages 20 and 22. Next year, he won his first Defensive Player of the Year award. In 2015-2016, the star forward received his first All-Star selection, earned a back-to-back DPOY trophy, and finished second in MVP voting behind Steph Curry.[/p][embed guid="cc1063fa-13fb-483a-ab68-3e931a004800" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/478376694097539072?lang=cs" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Breakup with the Spurs [/h2][p]In 2017, things got messy. Leonard – now a superstar – experienced an injury plague that limited him to just nine games. After missing the first 27 matchups because of a quadriceps injury, he returned to court, only to suffer a shoulder strain.[/p][p]He briefly returned, but soon after, the Spurs announced he would be sidelined indefinitely to continue rehabbing his quadriceps tendinopathy. Although San Antonio's medical staff reportedly cleared him to play, Leonard sought a second opinion and chose to remain out. In March 2018, the team held a players-only meeting during which, according to reports, his teammates begged him to return. Despite the meeting being later described as “emotional and tense”, Leonard never played again that season.[/p][p]Following the deteriorating relationship with the Spurs, Leonard requested a trade. Although his preferred destination was the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio instead sent him to Toronto in 2018.[/p][p]Despite going in the opposite direction than desired, Leonard won his second Larry O’Brien Trophy and second Finals MVP award. He became just the third player in NBA history to secure the award with two different teams, and the first player to win it with a team from each conference.[/p][p]After his historic year capped with the title, Leonard signed a three-year, $103 million deal with his hometown team, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-clippers/vPeTYlqm/"]Los Angeles Clippers[/a].[/p][p]His six-season stint in California was filled with incredible individual performances, personal accolades, and All-Star bids. But the team's success was lacking and never met expectations – the Clippers advanced past the first round only once, reaching the Western Conference Finals but falling to the Phoenix Suns in 2021. LA hasn’t won a playoff series since.[/p][embed guid="0fa0bbad-5f68-4846-b055-c84df72d4bb8" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RivzZVtPds0" social-type="youtube" /][p]Leonard is coming off a career year, recording 27.9 points per game. But the Clippers lost in the play-in tournament, missing out on the postseason. In February, the organisation traded away James Harden and Ivica Zubac, hinting that the franchise might be pivoting towards a rebuild and a younger roster. Leonard turned 35 on June 29.[/p][p]At first, the president of basketball operations claimed the club wanted to keep Leonard.[/p][p][b]“Our plan is to win with Kawhi,”[/b] he said. [b]“We obviously showed as an organisation that we want to continue, and we are driven to win. So, at the appropriate time, we’ll sit down with Kawhi, and very similar to 2024, lay out our plan. And if our goals are aligned, then we’d like to win with Kawhi.”[/b][/p][h2]Back to the North [/h2][p]Leonard wanted to stay as well. But when those conversations happened, the Clippers didn’t make a long-term commitment. Instead, shocking news broke the internet: Kawhi Leonard is moving back to Canada.[/p][embed guid="7eabf99d-ed69-433b-81c7-9039ce21872a" url="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/2072091819035316691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2072091819035316691%7Ctwgr%5E721c67f9fdfa3ab448883e8b09119431d5e46e3c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nba.com%2Fnews%2Fraptors-clippers-kawhi-leonard-trade" social-type="twitter" /][p]For Leonard, it is a storybook homecoming. For the Clippers, it marks the next step in reshaping the roster and striving to get out of the average. Toronto, meanwhile, is taking a calculated gamble. Can Leonard stay healthy and consistently available? He missed the entire 2021-22 season after tearing his ACL and was limited to just 37 games a year ago.[/p][p]Yet whenever he is on the floor, he remains one of the league's most impactful players. Since returning from his knee injury, Leonard has shot 40.5% from three, nearly identical to Steph Curry's 40.6% over the same span. This season, he averaged 1.9 steals per game, ranking among the NBA's top five. The other four players on that list were all 25 years old or younger.[/p][p]By bringing Leonard back, Toronto is attempting to escape mediocrity and contend for another championship. The organisation won just one playoff series since Leonard’s departure. This year, the Raptors compiled a 40-36 record and earned the fifth seed. They lost to the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games.[/p][embed guid="be4e7618-0488-47e9-ab16-1019ad837b13" url="https://x.com/DKSports/status/2072045171718476271" social-type="twitter" /][p]In his lone season with the Raptors, Leonard scored 732 postseason points - the third-most in a single playoff run in NBA history, trailing only Michael Jordan and LeBron James.[/p][p]Toronto is betting everything on the superstar who delivered the franchise's first championship. The question now is simple: can Kawhi Leonard make history in Canada once again and lead the Raptors back to the promised land? [/p]