Four bounces to simultaneously crush the spirit of every Philadelphia 76ers fan in existence. Four bounces to turn Kawhi Leonard into the greatest Toronto Raptor of all-time.
On May 12, 2019, an absolute miracle stunned all of Toronto, nay, the world:
Without this shot, the Raptors may have very well lost their title dreams in overtime against the Sixers that night. Giannis Antetokounmpo might have already won his first title with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The many dominoes that fell during the wildest offseason in NBA history might have fallen a lot differently had this shot not gone in.
How would Kawhi Leonard's legacy shake out had he left the Raptors without a ring to show for it? Would he have left Toronto at all? Paul George might still be in Oklahoma City, and for that matter, so would Russell Westbrook. The ripple effects of this shot echoed throughout the league and changed the course of NBA history forever.
On its own, Kawhi Leonard's shot was an extremely difficult attempt to win a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Semis. But while that ball bounced in the air four times, the future of the NBA was also hanging in the balance.
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