Kawhi Leonard returns to Toronto, the city that will never forget him

Kawhi Leonard loved and led and ultimately left Toronto, but when he returns on Wednesday night he will find that his former, brief home — and the reigning NBA champion franchise it supports — still loves him back.

It is a unique kind of sporting affection that the Canadian city holds for Leonard, now of the Los Angeles Clippers and arguably the best player in basketball. It was a fleeting affair, one season only, Leonard upping sticks and moving on just 357 days after he landed north of the border.

But what a season it was; a mind-twirling adventure that took the Raptors to their first and only NBA championship, sinking the Golden State Warriors dynasty in the process and riding Leonard’s brilliance to an outcome beyond their dreams.

His appearance at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday will see him presented with his championship ring, the one he earned with a Finals performance that saw him claim the MVP award after leading Toronto in points, rebounds, steals and spirit. Boos? Don’t expect more than a handful — and if there are, they’ll be drowned out quickly.

“I think the fans appreciate him, I think the organization appreciates him, I think what he did as a basketball player in winning a championship, it was great,” former teammate Kyle Lowry told The OC Register. “I think it’s going to be a good moment for him and I think he’s going to be really, really happy to get his ring.”

There could have been some bitterness from the Toronto fan base, given the speed with which Leonard departed. His free agency decision was in many ways the catalyst for shaping what NBA would look like over the coming seasons, and the Clippers made the perfect pitch before agreeing to Leonard’s insistence on being paired with Paul George.

Reflecting back at the Kawhi shot ahead of his return to Toronto tomorrow ??

H/T @ringer pic.twitter.com/8ofYkxiuYf

— Yahoo Sports Canada (@YahooCASports) December 10, 2019

Having lifted the Raptors to the top table of NBA relevance, his sudden exit seemed likely to return the club to the ranks of the hopefuls. Yet Toronto didn’t see it that way, going 16-7 to start this season; Leonard’s Clippers are currently 18-7. That heady window of last summer was a special time for the city, and the feelings towards Leonard and the class of 2018-19 will only ever be of gratitude.

“It was a shotgun wedding to begin with,” Raptors fan Dahl Factor told me. “There wasn’t long enough in the relationship for any kind of bad blood to build up and Toronto loved the fact that Kawhi was a real guy who was all about the game, not the spotlight.

“He came, he went, and he left us with enough memories to last a lifetime.”

Leonard arrived in Toronto after falling out with the San Antonio Spurs over their handling of his right quadriceps injury, in a swap deal with Toronto’s team and city favorite DeMar DeRozan. His workload during the regular season was carefully managed, just as it is this season in Los Angeles. When the playoffs arrived, he erupted into life.

It wasn’t that long ago. Toronto remembers.

“I would imagine that our fans are going to give him an amazing ovation,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “If they give him 1/15th of what they gave us on opening night, it’s still going to be something.”

Leonard is one of the most reluctant embracers of fame that basketball has, shunning the hoopla wherever possible. But he has not forgotten Toronto either and his sponsors New Balance this week unveiled a giant billboard celebrating the fact. At the corner of Yonge and Dundas in downtown, the sign has a clear and simple message: “Thank You Toronto.”

Fun Guy in town. pic.twitter.com/RdAwMTuZES

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 11, 2019

For their part, the Raptors have pieced together a tribute video that is both stirring and humorous. Local television station Rogers Sportsnet has advocated for a Leonard statue. Not all breakups need to be hard, I guess. Leonard and the Raptors should write the book on successful conscious uncoupling.

The truth is, both sides are prospering without each other. Leonard, having teamed up with George after snubbing the Lakers, is at the helm of the team seen by many as the most likely to clinch the title this season.

According to FiveThirtyEight, the Clippers have a 37 percent shot at making the Finals and a 20 percent chance of winning it all. FOX Bet rates them as the +300 favorites to become NBA champions. For Wednesday’s game, FOX Bet has the Clippers as the money line favorites to win, at -143.

However, Toronto has shined also, in a way that few expected given the high-profile departure of their glittering light from last season. At 16-7, they are firmly in contention near the top of the Eastern Conference, while Pascal Siakam has blossomed into a star of genuine force.

According to FOX Bet, the Raptors have a +700 chance to win the East and are at +2500 to retain the title, behind the Clippers, Lakers, Bucks, 76ers, Rockets and Nuggets. Wednesday will mark the last time the Raptors and Clippers are due to meet, but it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility that they could square off again in June, with everything on the line.

Leonard doesn’t smile a lot, but expect smiles all around on Wednesday. This won’t be an awkward reunion. Toronto’s title came right in the middle of the honeymoon period and then it was done.

The Raptors and Leonard are former flames who enjoyed one special summer — and created history in the process. They’re happy to see each other again, because there is no reason not to be.

How cool is this? New Balance just released a new Kawhi billboard at Yonge and Dundas.

Thank You Toronto. pic.twitter.com/GuUEMoI0YE

— Alykhan Khamisa Ravjiani (@AlykhanKR) December 11, 2019