By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP
NBA star Kawhi Leonard is happy to be back in Toronto wearing the Raptors uniform.
In one season, he helped the franchise win its first championship by defeating the Golden State Warriors in 2019. After winning the title, he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. The fans missed him. They wanted him to stay. Did Leonard have any thoughts about coming back? Any regrets?
“Once COVID hit, it was crazy for everybody,” Leonard said. “Think about it now, just like, yeah, for sure. It is always what if or what could have happened. But I haven’t been living my life on that because I got to see family and friends who are not here now. I have no regrets.”
Leonaid is from California. He has family over there. Signing with the Clippers was a no-brainer for him. Raptors fans welcome him back with open arms. The Raptors are young and have a talented defensive team. Leonard, who is a great overall two-way player, can be an asset if he stays healthy.
He’s in his mid-30s, and he played very well last season. The Raptors took good care of Leonard from a health standpoint when he was in Toronto. Leonard went on to explain how important it was for him to sign the extension.
“God and the Raptors and just all the support for believing in me,” Leonard said. “Security with the family. But I never really looked at the money because I could have stopped playing today with what I’d made. I’m just fortunate to be healthy and able to play the game.”
When all is said and done, the Raptors will retire his jersey. That’s how much he means to the organization. It’ll be fun to see Leonard and Scottie Barnes on the court together. Leonard believes he can play alongside him, and he wants to win.
Leonard is looking forward to playing with his new teammates. He has high respect and praise for Barnes.
“Seeing his relentlessness on defense and wanting to be a two-way player, controlling the game on both ends of the floor,” Leonard said.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
X: @mmm_sportnfilms, Instagram: @miguel_passionforsports and @themmmjournal, LinkedIn: The MMM Journal, TikTok: @miguelmikemedina
