The Play
The last time we saw Kawhi Leonard in the playoffs was in 2017. He was writhing in pain on the floor of Oracle Arena. As he had done countless times before, he pulled up for one of his vintage corner jumpers when a suspect close out from ZaZa Pachulia caused Leonard to land awkwardly on Pachulia’s foot, injuring Leonard’s ankle.
Leonard’s team was up 20 points on the defending world champions in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Once he left the game, the Warriors erased that deficit and would go on to win the game—and ultimately the series—over a Kawhi-less Spurs team searching for answers.
The biggest story of that series loss? Zaza Pachulia changed the trajectory of a young star’s career and his relationship with the San Antonio Spurs, one of the most storied franchises in sports.
The Breakup
A lot can change in two years. Leonard played all of nine games for the Spurs after the incident in Oracle. The acrimonious relationship between him and the Spurs is well-documented and played out like a modern-day soap opera. Eventually, the Spurs traded Leonard—and franchise favorite Danny Green— to Toronto for Demar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a first-round pick in 2019.
Leonard was the perfect heir apparent to Tim Duncan. Unassuming, quiet, eclectic, and workmanlike, the keys to the Spurs Kingdom were his for the taking. In the summer of 2018, he found himself taking his talents north of the border to Toronto. With more questions than answers. The Raptors were taking a huge gamble going after a one-year rental since Leonard would become a free agent in 2019. Many assumed he was headed to Los Angeles, and 2018-2019 was a season for him to prove that he was back to being the best two-way player in the game.
The Return
Toronto got way more than they bargained for. Leonard returned to the playoffs, knowing full well he might make his way back to the scene of the crime—Oracle Arena.
Kawhi’s body of work during the playoffs is the stuff of legend. A buzzer-beater to defeat a tough, gritty 76ers team. Lockdown defense on Giannis Antetekumpo in the Eastern Conference Finals, leading his team to take four straight games and cruise into the NBA Finals. Nine straight road games with 29 or more points. In a decisive Game 4 on the road against the defending champions, Leonard dominated the third quarter to a tune of 17 points—including two nasty three-pointers that he walked into like he was Steph Curry.
Now he has the chance to close out one of the most dominant franchises in NBA history and end a dynasty.
The King…of the North
Kawhi Leonard has put the city of Toronto on his back. And he has done it living in a city he didn’t want to live in, playing for a team he didn’t want to play for. If you think about it, it’s the most Kawhi Leonard thing ever. Playing with the cards he’s dealt. And doing it masterfully—like he’s got a great hand in a game of spades.
Despite his early reservations and disappointment, Kawhi has made a home for himself in Toronto—at least for a year.
One thing is for certain. Leonard is now getting the league-wide attention he deserves. And he’s proving that he is one of the best players in the league on one of the biggest stages in sports.
Sometimes transcendence arrives in the form of New Balance sneakers and braids. Kawhi chose to go the unconventional route and sign with a brand best known for running shows. Maybe he knew something we didn’t. That he’d be running circles around the league for years to come.
Leonard is, indeed, the King of the North. If he closes out the Warriors, he will also become the Kingslayer—a title previously held by some guy in Los Angeles.
The Future
Kawhi Leonard is the future of the NBA. As a Spurs fan, it pains me to write those words. But I have known that fact since 2014—when he won Finals MVP with three future Hall of Famers in the same lineup. It has just taken others time to see the future in action in the NBA Finals again.
Kawhi’s next move might garner more attention than any other coveted free agent. And rightfully so. People have realized that he is just that good. He changes the game on both ends of the court.
Leonard has reasserted his presence in the NBA. And, as only Kawhi Leonard can, he has done it...his way.