The 2019 Toronto Raptors season marked the first time the franchise had ever won the championship. While the Toronto Raptors had built up a great core including Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, and Fred VanVleet, it is Kawhi Leonard that was the best player on the team and ended up as the Finals MVP.
Kawhi Leonard’s presence was key for the Raptors, who had hit a wall in the playoffs during the prior seasons. While Kyle Lowry was the vocal leader on that team, Kawhi Leonard led by example. During coach Phil Handy’s recent appearance on the All The Smoke podcast, Handy revealed how Kawhi Leonard took charge of guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo when the team was 2-0 down in the Eastern Conference Finals.
"The adjustment is that I'm guarding Giannis."
Kawhi wanted all the smoke vs. Giannis in the 2019 ECF 😤
via @shobasketball, allthesmoke/TW) https://t.co/x93g4x0I2Y
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 17, 2021
It is clear that Kawhi Leonard stepping up was key, as the Toronto Raptors won 4 straight games after being down 2-0. While Kawhi Leonard may be out with injury currently, he is always going to be a superstar that is a leader and a winning presence on the court.
