Kawhi Leonard Receives Ring and Warm Welcome in Toronto Return

Kawhi Leonard received his NBA Championship hardware on Wednesday night in his first return to Toronto since joining the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason.

The Raptors welcomed the NBA Finals MVP in a pregame ceremony, which included a tribute video that highlighted his contributions and even displayed the path of Leonard's buzzer-beater against the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs. 

Leonard was greeted with an ovation and applause from Raptors fans as he received his Championship ring. The entire team and staff greeted Leonard, while Kyle Lowry presented him with his ring amongst "MVP" chants. 

“It was great, it was a great moment,” Leonard said. “They did a great job putting it together, having all the players out there that won with me, standing there and presenting the ring."

The Clippers went on to defeat the Raptors 112-92, fueled by Leonard's 23 points, five rebounds and six assists. 

Prior to the game, a "Thank You Toronto" billboard was unveiled by New Balance alongside a photo of Leonard. 

Afterward, Leonard said he had more time to check out his ring. 

“I sat in the locker room with it for a little bit, just admiring it and just remembering all the memories and all the hard work that went into it," Leonard said. 

Leonard also added that there is a special twist to his ring.

While the Clippers are off to a 19-7 start to the season, Leonard still looks back at his time in Toronto fondly.

“It was a special season for us, for me," Leonard said. “I’m glad we were able to win. It was a blessing.”