The Toronto Raptors reached the NBA Finals for the first time in its franchise history, thanks in large part to the phenomenal play of All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard who single-handedly carried the team for the majority of their playoff run.
In a press conference ahead of Game 2, Leonard credited three Hall of Famers who helped him a lot during the early stages of his career: Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
“… learning from the great teammates I had then from Tim, Tony and Manu. Just seeing how they approach the game.”
—Kawhi on how he learned his even-keeled approach to the game pic.twitter.com/AOxrMIKmQz
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 1, 2019
Duncan, Parker and Ginobili helped the San Antonio Spurs win four NBA titles, and Leonard was a part of the most recent one. Back in 2014, the four of them spearheaded an upset of the LeBron James-led Miami Heat. Kawhi even won the Finals MVP that year.
It was a passing of the torch. The trio gave the keys of the Spurs franchise to Leonard, and at first, it seemed that everything was working fine. Kawhi was undoubtedly becoming the best player in San Antonio when his relationship with the team's front office fell apart in 2017.
He was then traded to the Raptors. However, Leonard kept his focus and played every single night for the fans of Toronto, helping the team secure the second best record in the East. From there, everything went the Raptors' way.
Now, Leonard has an opportunity to take down the Golden State Warriors. The Raptors have already won Game 1 and will look to go up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series on Sunday night.
From being a prospect in 2011 to being a bona fide superstar, Kawhi has come a long way in his career. Certainly, he has three legends to thank for it.
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