Everyone across the NBA has been waiting for this day when the Toronto Raptors meet the San Antonio Spurs for the homecoming of former Spur Kawhi Leonard. And for DeMar DeRozan, it would be welcoming his new rivals and the former team in the Raptors.
The hometown fans ended up booing Kawhi Leonard during introductions, even though the Spurs did have a tribute video for both him and Danny Green.
In his first ouch of the contest, Kawhi put his head down and drove hard to the basket with a bit of vengeance. He used his fancy footwork to move around the defender and score the basket with ease, even with a foul being called.
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Article Continues BelowKawhi Leonard had been the best player on the Spurs since Tim Duncan retired in 2013. His defensive ability is remarkable, and he won two Defensive Player of the Year awards while in San Antonio. In his last season before getting injured, he was a surefire MVP candidate before losing out to Russell Westbrook and his triple-double campaign.
His relationship with the Spurs slowly eroded and he longer wanted to play under Gregg Popovich. So, the Spurs sent him away up north to the Raptors and received DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poetl, and a future pick in return. DeRozan has been excellent this season under Popovich and seems to have found a niche as a midrange marksman.
Leonard is now an MVP candidate for the first-placed Raptors. They are 28-11 on the season and are sitting on top of the NBA's overall standings.
The Spurs, on the other hand, are 21-17 and currently sit in the seventh spot of the Western Conference.