The Toronto Raptors will go up against the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center on Thursday. Fans are looking forward to an emotional showdown, as it will be the first game of Kawhi Leonard against his former team.
Leonard and the Spurs ended their ties in the offseason after a drama-filled relationship last year. The Spurs eventually traded their former franchise player along with Danny Green to the Raptors. Before the trade, Leonard and his camp were reportedly frustrated by the way the Spurs handled the superstar's quad injury.
Kawhi Leonard is a man on a mission this season, proving that he is still one of the best players in the league. But against the Spurs, Leonard is reportedly just treating it as another game, as he does not hold any grudge against his former team and teammates in San Antonio.
Article Continues Below“Sometimes people don't see eye to eye,” a source close to Leonard told Jabari Young of The Athletic. “It was just business.”
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was also asked about facing his former star for the first time. Popovich said that he is not looking at the past, as they have moved on from that chapter of their franchise. The veteran head coach is unsure how Spurs fans will treat Leonard, but he is expecting them to show respect to any visiting team or players.
“I don't speak for other people, but I hope that they treat everybody with kindness and respect,” Popovich said via ESPN's Michael C. Wright. “We always have in the past, so we'll see.”
Another side story on Thursday's matchup is DeMar DeRozan's first game against his former team. DeRozan, who was traded alongside Jakob Poeltl, and a 2019 first-round pick to the Spurs, has openly expressed his frustration with the Raptors. He felt his loyalty to the franchise was not appreciated when the Raptors dealt him to San Antonio.