Toronto Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri had high praise for Kawhi Leonard's two-way play during Wednesday's media availability. And as he has in the past, Ujiri noted that Leonard is the best player in the NBA.

“I don't know if there is anyone who will argue with me that Kawhi is the best two-way player in the NBA,” Ujiri said. “And when we talk about basketball, we're talking about playing on both ends. I feel that if we put him on both ends of the court, he has the ability to be the best player in the league.”

Ujiri's comments may seem a bit brash, but they do hold weight. Leonard has led the Raptors to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

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Leonard came to the Raptors by way of a trade with the San Antonio Spurs in July of last year. He was coming off of an injury-plagued season, but Toronto was willing to bring him aboard. The decision paid off, as Leonard has managed to recover in a big way. In fact, his 31.2 points per game this season were second only to Houston Rockets guard James Harden (31.6). He also finished 10th in steals (1.6) and 13th in rebounding (8.8).

Now, with a nation of support at his back, Leonard will look to lead the Raptors to their first championship. The competition will be stiff, though, as the Golden State Warriors will be looking to extend their streak of dominance in the Finals.

The Raptors and Warriors will meet for Game 1 on Thursday night. Tip-off inside Scotiabank Arena is set for 9:00 p.m. ET, with ABC having live broadcast coverage.