At their peak, Kawhi Leonard might be the greatest Toronto athlete of all time, and while his short time with the team has come to an end, there will be plenty to remember him by.
Oddly enough, for a player that so often says he just likes playing basketball, it was off the court that he often had his memorable moments. The regular season felt like many others, as early on it felt inevitable that the Raptors would finish near the top of the East. Add in the load management and it was a somewhat forgettable regular season.
But when it really counted, Kawhi showed up, and those flashes make up a lot of the top 10 most memorable moments from Kawhi’s time with the Raptors.
10. Plant Guy
Plant guy was just a meme at one point, but he truly became a folk hero at the parade. Many people brought their own plants to the parade, but the most special moment came from Kawhi’s interaction with the real plant guy, accepting the house warming gift that he so desperately wanted to give him.
9. Composure
While this was a playoff-long mentality from Kawhi, his even-keel attitude seemed to really catch people’s attention when Kendrick Perkins pointed it out after Game 3 of the NBA Final. No smiles.
8. Fist Bump
This kind of fits into the composure category, but it was just the pinnacle of seeing him locked in before the game. Of course, Kawhi went on to give several fist bumps to his teammates (Including Norm Powell) after this, but it was just another story added to Kawhi’s lovable personality.
7. This Photo
When something has been tattooed this many times on people, we think it probably ranks pretty high in terms of how memorable it is. We know those people will never forget it.
6. Final Words
They feel a little different after his departure, but Kawhi ended his time in Toronto with the perfect joke and message for the fans. The summer’s not over everyone, enjoy it.
5. What it do bayyybbyyyy
How many times have you heard this since the parade? A simple response to Serge Ibaka filming him in the car caught fire online and has become a part of not just Raptors fans’ vernacular, but NBA fans in general. Even NBA players too.
4. Fun Guy
We can’t believe this is number four, but that’s just how many great moments there was this year. These were the two words he used to describe himself at the beginning of the year and they followed him all the way to end. But, these two words are only one half of the reason that season-opening media day press conference was so unforgettable.
3. The Laugh
Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha. Kawhi owned the laugh at the end of the year, but the first version will always be the more popular version. Kawhi called himself a “Fun Guy” and followed it up with an unusual laugh that immediately turned him into a fan favourite in Toronto. And the memes were pretty great too.
2. The Shot
Somehow it took us this long to get to something that actually happened on the court. It’s probably because in a season with many spectacular plays, something needs to go above and beyond to really stand out. The Game-7, buzzer-beating shot that sent the Raptors to the Eastern Conference Final will never be forgotten. Neither will the four bounces that felt like an eternity.
1. The Win
The Raptors are NBA Champions. Nothing can ever take this away from the fans, players or team.
