Dennis Robertson, uncle and primary career and business advisor of Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard, recently gave his reaction about his nephew reaching the NBA Finals after what was a messy separation with the San Antonio Spurs.
In a phone interview with Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes, Robertson — predominantly known in NBA circles as ‘Uncle Dennis' — said that he's glad that their family was able to move on from all the unfortunate events that happened between them and the Spurs. He also emphasized that Leonard deserves to be happy for what he has been able to accomplish with the Raptors.
“We’re a humble family and we’re just enjoying the moment. Most people would say it’s vindication, but I’m not sure about that. But it was nice that we kept our mouths shut and just let everything play out. And for Kawhi, to take all the negative press he received and to focus on taking the East and to taking each series game by game, it’s a big deal. Making it to the Finals is a big deal,” Uncle Dennis said.
“This is a team that has never been to the Finals and we’re happy about that. It feels good with what we went through last year. We have to be happy. He said it best with all the work he's put into his craft: He’s ready for this moment. What he accomplished was amazing. That’s what stars do. How he’s handled everything on and off the court is well deserved. It was nice to see him fight through all the adversity and he’s earned every minute of this.”
Back in 2016, Leonard suffered a leg injury during Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Warriors. His recovery took longer than expected, which led to some of the Spurs players calling him out publicly about it. Kawhi's camp didn't like what happened, so they demanded a trade from San Antonio. They wanted him to be traded to one of the Los Angeles teams, but he ended up with the Raptors.
This season, Leonard has been successful in avoiding all the controversies. Majority of the news and conversations about him are nothing but rumors about his looming free agency situation. The former Finals MVP focused on helping the Raptors win, which paid off as they beat the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Now, Kawhi will have the opportunity to finish what he started against Golden State.
But whether the Raptors win the championship or not, there is no denying the fact that everything worked out in the end for Leonard.
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