Kawhi Leonard Receives Ring and Warm Welcome in Toronto Return

Kawhi Leonard was welcomed back to Toronto with a special tribute video and his Championship ring.

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. 

Kyle Lowry gives Kawhi Leonard his championship ring.

Board man finally gets paid 🙌

(via @Raptors)pic.twitter.com/UtKTMf0Zdz

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 12, 2019

“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. 

Kawhi on New Balance billboard: "(The fans) were amazing last year. They rolled with us through the ups and downs. We were down every series pretty much and they stuck through it with us. They brought great energy to every game and it helped us. So that's my thank you to them." pic.twitter.com/o3ucwFPPCy

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) December 11, 2019

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.

Kawhi's logo on his championship ring is one of a kind.

"I have like an F you symbol on there" 😂

(via @TSN_Sports)pic.twitter.com/EytBzQKLGd

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 12, 2019

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.”

Raptors got nothing but respect for Kawhi ❤️

(via @ESPNNBA)pic.twitter.com/oSXX6ILiEy

— The Crossover (@TheCrossover) December 12, 2019