Nick Nurse Reveals Kawhi Leonard’s Message Before Raptors’ Title Run

Kawhi Leonard’s run with the Toronto Raptors is both one of the greatest single-season runs ever by an athlete and one of the greatest what-if scenarios ever.

Leonard led the Raptors to the championship in his only season there before leaving for his hometown of Los Angeles. If he had stayed, Toronto could have competed for more titles. Their depth and young, ascending talent would have made them a bigger power in the Eastern Conference. Leonard’s decision to leave was not shocking but it was unprecedented. Toronto remained good for a while but never made it back to the finals.

During a recent appearance on the Draymond Green Show, former Raptors head coach Nick Nurse recalled his first meeting with Leonard after he was traded by the San Antonio Spurs and revealed why it wasn’t a total shock that Leonard took a dive after his only season with Toronto. .

Kawhi Leonard warned Nick Nurse about possibly leaving Raptors after first season

“He was traded to Toronto, I met him and it was super cool,” Nurse remembers. “We were going over some things on the board and it was a great conversation. And he said to me, ‘Listen, I want to play to win.’ I will play to win everything. I’m going to do it for a year. After this, I’m not sure what will happen. But for a year I will play 100 percent. I will play to win the title.

“So I wasn’t totally shocked,” the former Raptors coach continued, “but I thought after I did everything… I really hoped he would stay because it was a very, very good team. It really was.

The Raptors, obviously, were not Leonard’s destination of choice. He wanted to return to Los Angeles after his relationship with the Spurs was damaged beyond repair. Still, Toronto was a favorable situation that allowed him to win his second Finals MVP award. Winning it all with the only NBA team north of the border created a huge impact on the sport and the league.

Leonard kept his word to Nurse to give it his all, orchestrating a spectacular playoff run. In the playoffs, he averaged 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game with a true shooting percentage of 61.9 and eight games with at least 35 points. No other player in franchise history has more than five.

This astonishing production left Raptors fans grateful for The Klaw rather than despised by his departure. They probably felt a little snubbed but were ultimately just happy to have finally won everything.

Leonard, who left the Raptors for the Los Angeles Clippers and has been there ever since, and Nurse, who just finished his first season as coach of the Philadelphia 76ers after being fired by Toronto, will still have that championship. Both are still revered in the North as they continue their respective careers and the Raptors attempt to rebuild.