Kawhi Leonard returns to Raptors amid mixed fan reactions

2 sources • 2 min read • Latest: Oct 19, 2026, 9:00 AM

Last updated Oct 19, 2026

Kawhi Leonard returns to Raptors amid mixed fan reactions
Summary

Kawhi Leonard, who led the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA championship in 2019, has returned to the team for a second stint. Leonard initially joined the Raptors after leaving the San Antonio Spurs, where he experienced turmoil over his injury management. Despite the championship season, he departed for the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency, leaving Raptors fans with mixed feelings about his legacy. His return offers a chance to reshape narratives surrounding his time in Toronto. The Raptors organization hopes to embrace this opportunity, as they welcome back one of the franchise's greatest players.

Source Links
Status Watch
  • •Kawhi Leonard's second tenure with the Raptors begins this fall.
  • •He previously led Toronto to its first NBA title, earning finals MVP honors.
  • •Leonard's departure in 2019 sparked mixed emotions among Raptors fans.
  • •The Raptors aim to reshape narratives surrounding his controversial exit.
Latest Updates
  • 9:00 AMYahoo Sports — Kawhi Leonard: a hero’s complicated return to the Toronto Raptors
  • 9:00 AMThe Guardian Sport — Kawhi Leonard: a hero’s complicated return to the Toronto Raptors
What they're saying
"

The reunion between one of the best players of his generation and the team he helped make an NBA champion is an opportunity to change narratives When Kawhi Leonard became a Toronto Raptor for the first time in the summer of 2018, he looked shellshocked. “There’s just more questions you have to ask me in order for me to tell you about myself,” he said, introducing himself to an organization and city he reportedly had no interest in joining. Leonard had fallen out with his former team, the San Antonio Spurs – one of the most respected franchises in professional sports – due to differences in opinion about an injury that had limited him to just nine games in the 2017-18 season. The Los Angeles native had hoped to end up in southern California, but instead the Raptors risked it all by swapping franchise cornerstone DeMar DeRozan for one year of an injured, malcontent Leonard. It worked: Leonard led the Raptors to their maiden championship on the back of a historic playoff run, averaging 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals en route. Leonard won his second finals MVP to go alongside the one he had claimed with the Spurs when he helped them to the title in 2014. Continue reading...

"

The reunion between one of the best players of his generation and the team he helped make an NBA champion is an opportunity to change narratives

Related Teams & Leagues

Sources

External links

Original reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.

Related Stories

Last 14 days