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The Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard is Canada's most-Googled athlete for the second straight month, according to Craig Battle in SportsNets and, well, Google.
Leonard being at the top of the list is not exactly a surprise given the recency bias of his leadership bringing the Toronto Raptors the first NBA Finals win in league history plus July's frenzy of free agency rumors and activity. However, the curiosity around Leonard is slightly surprising given how long basketball has played second fiddle in Toronto and Canada at large (and despite the sport being founded by a Canadian in James Naismith and the first BAA game played in Canada). Hockey has been the clear No. 1 favorite sport of Canadians but the Raptors' recent success, and of course title-clinching season in 2018-19, has propelled a national movement to support the team amid the usual fandom for the country's various NHL franchises, like the Toronto Maple Leafs.
All good things must come to an end, though, as Leonard's free agency was in part the reason why so many Canadians had Googled the Los Angeles, California, native in July. Leonard signed with the Clippers and will join All-Star Paul George in LA after the latter was traded by the Oklahoma City Thunder as a corresponding move to Leonard's arrival.
Kawhi arrived in Toronto, Ontario, when the Raptors traded former franchise cornerstone shooting guard DeMar DeRozan for Leonard and Danny Green. Despite being one-year rentals, the move proved fruitful since Leonard, Green, and trade-deadline acquisition Marc Gasol led the Raptors to the Larry O'Brien trophy in June.
Leonard averaged 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game in 60 regular-season appearances for the Raps in 2018-19.
