Sport
Keeping Kawhi-et: Leonard moving forward in Raptors return
Key Points
The last time Kawhi Leonard was at Toronto Raptors media day, he was seen as a mercenary player whose laugh became a meme. Now, eight years later, he is excited to be back and looking to put behind him a scandal and investigation that put one final cloud over his seven-season LA Clippers tenure. "I'm excited to be here.
The last time Kawhi Leonard was at Toronto Raptors media day, he was seen as a mercenary player whose laugh became a meme. Now, eight years later, he is excited to be back and looking to put behind him a scandal and investigation that put one final cloud over his seven-season LA Clippers tenure.
"I'm excited to be here. I know why some of you guys came. You want to hear about the investigation, but you know, talking with the NBA and the [NBPA], I think the best decision is to move forward and focus on my time being a Toronto Raptor," Leonard said Monday.
Leonard's contract that he signed as a free agent after his one previous season in Toronto became the subject of a nearly yearlong investigation that concluded this offseason. The Clippers were found to have participated in salary cap circumvention -- agreeing to get Leonard extra money outside of his NBA contract through team-brokered, no-work endorsement deals.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has been suspended by the NBA for one year, with two other executives also handed suspensions. Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, wasn't suspended but must pay the league $700,000.
The investigation held up an agreed upon trade that ultimately was approved by the league. In the end, Toronto sent last year's leading scorer Brandon Ingram, former lottery pick Gradey Dick and multiple picks back to Los Angeles for Leonard. The Raptors and the 35-year-old Leonard subsequently agreed to a two-year, $115 million contract extension.
"I already was a distraction for the past 70 days and wasn't able to meet with my teammates, do any of that minicamp stuff with them," Leonard said Monday. "So, moving forward, I just want to talk about the Toronto Raptors today."
Leonard's 2018-19 season in Toronto was one of his best. Over 60 regular season games he averaged 26.6 points, a career-best 7.3 rebounds, and won NBA Finals MVP for the second time while leading the Raptors to their only championship.
Last season, Leonard played in 65 games and averaged a career-high 27.9 rebounds to go with 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists. He earned his seventh All-Star selection and was voted second-team All-NBA.
Leonard's return trip to the Clippers comes on Nov. 2, but is the second game of a back-to-back.