TORONTO — With the entire arena standing on its feet and chanting “MVP,” Kawhi Leonard returned to Toronto and was celebrated as a champion as he received his championship ring on Wednesday night.
Leonard left the Raptors after one season to join the LA Clippers in free agency. But the Toronto fans finally got to thank Leonard for helping deliver the first NBA title to Canada.
“It’s like Maximus coming back as the gladiator,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said before playing the Raptors. “He was the champion and just did everything honorably and the right way. I was joking earlier that would be a great intro.”
After public address announcer Herbie Kuhn introduced the four other Clippers in the starting lineup, the Raptors showed a nearly two-minute tribute video revisiting Leonard’s championship run with the Raptors last season as fans cheered on. At one point, the lights went completely dark with just the play-by-play heard of Leonard’s game-winning 3 in Game 7 against Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference semifinals, before showing the reaction of Leonard screaming.
During that time that it went dark, the Raptors retraced Leonard’s steps before that corner shot on the court with foot prints lighting up on the court while the play-by-play was being played.
“The ride was fun,” Leonard said of the championship run during the Clippers’ morning shootaround. “I had a great time last year with the coaching staff, front office and the players. It was a great experience.”
The Finals MVP then was introduced to a thunderous applause as he met with his former Raptors teammates and coaches at halfcourt as fans began to chant “MVP.” Finally, good friend Kyle Lowry handed Leonard his championship ring and the Clippers’ star appeared to rub his eyes real quick before putting the ring on.
Leonard then acknowledged the fans, raising his hands in the air as the announcer said, “Congratulations Kawhi! The North thanks you.”
Leonard and his sponsor, New Balance, had a large billboard go up in the city thanking Toronto. And the Raptors organization also had billboards go up celebrating Leonard’s return to Toronto.
“It’s a blood transfusion,” Rivers said of what happens when a player wins a championship and his relationship with that city. “Bill Parcells said it … but it really is, you’re connected for life when you win a title, not only with the fanbase but those players in the organization that you won it with. It’s amazing how often I talk to every single one of those guys in Boston.”
“Kawhi will be connected to this city,” Rivers added. “And every guy in the locker room with him for the rest of his life.”
Toronto coach Nick Nurse, who won the title in his first season as head coach with Leonard, echoed Rivers’ sentiment.
“I think Kyle said it best at the pep rally, at the parade, that ‘We’re all brothers for life,'” Nurse said. “I’m going to be connected to Kawhi for life because of what we achieved last year and all of us who were in that locker room are.”