Kawhi Leonard is making it clear: his connection to Toronto goes far beyond the championship banner hanging in the rafters.
In a new episode of the Raptors’ Open Gym documentary series, Leonard opened up about his relationship with the city, his legacy and why returning to Toronto means something to him beyond basketball.
Leonard pushed back on the idea that his career has been driven by constantly chasing another championship.
“I’m not really championship chasing,” Leonard said. “I didn’t want to put on a thousand jerseys.”
Instead, he said his connection to Toronto became personal.
“This city took a liking to my family, and I took a liking to this city,” Leonard said.
There’s an especially personal reason for that bond: Leonard’s son was born in Toronto.
According to Leonard, his son has repeatedly asked when he would be able to return to the city. Now that he is back, Leonard said his son can experience the place for himself rather than simply hearing stories about what happened there.
Leonard also reflected on the support he received from Toronto fans during his lone season with the Raptors.
“This city always gave me love and showed support from everybody,” he said. “I’m happy that they love what I did here.”
And Leonard believes he left everything on the floor.
“I gave this city everything,” he said, recalling that he entered the 2018–19 season dealing with an injury but still gave the team his all.
That season became one of the defining chapters of Leonard’s career.
He averaged 26.6 points per game during the regular season before elevating his production to 30.5 points and 9.1 rebounds over 24 playoff games. Leonard ultimately led Toronto to the first NBA championship in franchise history and captured his second Finals MVP award.
Now, as he returns to Toronto, Leonard has a simple hope for what comes next.
“Hopefully they embrace me back,” he said, “and I give them all again, and we can make something special happen once again.”
For Leonard, the Toronto chapter clearly isn’t just about what happened in 2019. It’s also about the city, the family memories and the relationship he believes was built during that unforgettable championship run.
