Kawhi Leonard will make his return to Toronto tonight, December 11, for the first time as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers. Ahead of the Clippers-Raptors showdown, which will air on ESPN at 7pm ET, the Raptors unleashed a special "Fun Guy" tribute video in honor of the man who helped deliver the franchise's first NBA title.
Check out the video below.
https://twitter.com/_/status/1204551425856081920
It should be an emotional return, considering Kawhi is just months removed from his championship season with the Raptors, but the reigning Finals MVP was very on-brand when asked about his trip back to Scotiabank Arena.
"I'll be thinking about just playing against the team and wanting to win the game, for the most part," said Leonard, according to The Athletic's Jovan Buha. "Just really getting my ring that night. ... We're there for one reason: to play the Raptors and try to win the game."
Kawhi and the Clippers currently hold the second best record in the Western Conference at 18-7, trailing only LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Leonard has already missed a handful of games due to "load management," but he has played at an elite level when he's on the floor, as per usual. In his first 18 games with the Clips, the 28-year old forward is averaging 25.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.9 steals per night.
The Raptors have also experienced success in their life after Kawhi, thanks in large part to budding superstar Pascal Siakam. Toronto enters tonight's matchup with a 16-7 record.
