Revisiting 2019: Kawhi Leonard’s role in an improbable title win for the Toronto Raptors
Remember 2019? Raptors media was calling Leonard “a Raptor for life”. We all know the story, Leonard was an expiring deal and went home to Los Angeles in the summer of 2019.
The Raptors face off with Leonard and the Clippers tonight (Mar. 8) and thus I thought it would be fun to revisit the 2019 NBA Finals amid the current Toronto Raptors’ barren season.
Kawhi Leonard’s performance in the 2019 NBA playoffs was nothing short of remarkable, as he led the tournament in points, rebounds, and minutes played. He was a dominant force on the floor, taking the lead in the war of attrition that is the NBA playoffs. Leonard carried the weight of a nation’s dreams on his broad back, never missing a step as he led the Toronto Raptors to an NBA championship.
Load management was a strategy implemented by Leonard to ensure he could perform at his best when it mattered most. His team followed his example of playing hard and steady, never wavering even if they were under pressure. Their determination paid off as they overcame many challenges, including injuries to key players like six-man Fred VanVleet and O.G. Anunoby who was ruled out of the entire playoffs.
Despite facing formidable opponents like the Golden State Warriors in the final straw, the Raptors were able to climb to the top of the mountain and plant their flag. A Canadian flag for the first and maybe last time. Leonard wasn’t alone, and was supported by Pascal Siakam who notched 27 points in Game 1 and Kyle Lowry, the greatest Raptor of all time, crushing previous playoff doubts, putting themto rest with a stellar performance in Game 6. He scored 26 points, had 10 assists, and seven rebounds, putting his stamp on the game in the opening minutes.
In the end, it was Leonard who did the heaviest lifting. His Game 6 line was impressive, with 22 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals. His season in Toronto was exceptional, and he helped the team and its fans feel the weight of history give way to the weightlessness of pure ecstasy. Mike Breen’s line to end the broadcast always comes to mind, “He carried this team on his broad shoulders”. The metaphor is so potent because whatever happened Leonard was strong enough mentally and physically to just get on with the work and task at hand. He supported a team full of doubters and non-lottery picks to rise to the top of basketball’s premier competition. From choosing to guard Giannis Antetokounmpo in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals with the Raptors down two games to zero, or the infamous Game 7 bounce against the Philadelphia 76ers, Kawhi was Kawhi. You could always count on him to win a game on his own.
Leonard’s impact on the Raptors was significant, as he helped the team make history by winning their first-ever NBA championship. He joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James as the only players to win Finals MVP with two different teams, adding to the one he earned in San Antonio in 2014.
It’s safe to say that Leonard’s legacy with the Raptors is secure. He will forever be remembered as a key player in the team’s history, and his contributions have made many of the team’s past struggles irrelevant. Leonard’s impact on the Raptors and the NBA will be felt for years to come.
The Clippers are a bit like pre-2019 Raptors. They have been consistently playoff caliber, but have never managed to jump over the final hurdle. They acquired Leonard to win them a championship, but it just hasn’t worked out. At 34–33 and the eighth seed in the West, the Clippers are looking championship or bust with Leonard injury ridden and getting older. Remarkably, Leonard is averaging 23 points with six rebounds and just under four assists. Can Kawhi still lead a team to a chip?
The Raptors had Leonard at his best. The Clippers don’t. But it’s still Kawhi Leonard. We know what he is capable of.
