With a few days to digest the heartbreaking news of Kawhi Leonard’s decision to leave the Toronto Raptors and join the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency, it is time to both reflect on, and appreciate what he brought to the city of Toronto, and the country as a whole.
His impact goes beyond the physical. Past the Larry O’Brien trophy, the 59 Jurassic parks that extended across Canada and even popped up in the United States (Rockford, Illinois and a New York theatre).
Kawhi Leonard helped turn a fan base from simply being happy to be in the NBA finals, to one who believed they were a better team than a Golden State Warriors team missing Kevin Durant.