Four-time NBA All-Star Shawn Marion has put in his two cents worth on the Kawhi Leonard situation. The 2011 NBA champion believes that at the end of the day, accomplishments on the basketball court will still be the most significant aspect of the relationship between Leonard and the Toronto Raptors.
Speaking to Vivek Jacob of Sportsnet, Marion shared his belief that a trip to the Finals could prove to be motivation enough for Leonard to stay on with the Raptors beyond this season.
“Y’all go the Finals, it opens the door for him. Y’all go to the Finals and he has a great playoff run, I think he’s gonna love the city,” said the 40-year-old.
Although Marion's sentiments here are not exactly groundbreaking, it still holds true. Leonard is a winner that is used to winning, so a scenario that would put him in a familiar territory would make him much more at ease.
Leonard has yet to play a single minute with his new team, but already, his relationship with the Raptors is already on edge. When the blockbuster deal went through this summer, there were initial reports that Leonard had no desire to play in Toronto. These rumors understandably left a bad taste in the mouth of Raptors supporters, and to say that they were off to a rocky start would be an understatement.
However, the Raptors have one of the most passionate fan bases in the entire league and a couple of wins to start the season — with Leonard leading the way — could very easily be the start of Kawhi's love affair with Toronto. It may be too early to say, but if Marion is correct, their affection might just be reciprocated by Leonard by signing an extension with the team at the end of the season.
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