Watch: Kawhi Leonard and Drake dap up after LA Clippers' win over Toronto Raptors
Tuesday night saw another homecoming for LA Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard in Toronto. With Leonard linking up with recording artist and producer Drake after the game, the former Toronto Raptors star still appears to have good currency with the city.
Kawhi Leonard is widely regarded as one of the best two-way players in the NBA. Despite missing time with the Clippers due to injury, Leonard remains one of the most consistent stars when he is on the court.
Leonard initially made his name with the San Antonio Spurs. Playing under Gregg Popovich and alongside the Spurs trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, the Spurs forward established an identity for himself.
However, the forward only found himself mentioned in the conversation as one of the best in the business after his stint with the Toronto Raptors.
Leonard's stint in Toronto was graced with some of the most memorable moments in franchise and NBA history. From the no-look steal early in the regular season to the miraculous ECF Game 7 buzzer-beater against the Philadelphia 76ers, Leonard has given Toronto some invaluable memories.
However, his biggest contribution to the franchise has to be the sole trophy in the cabinet for the Toronto Raptors. Bringing home the title after a tremendous 4-2 win in the 2019 Finals against the Golden State Warriors, Leonard solidified himself as a legend with Toronto.
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Unfortunately, Kawhi's stint with the Raptors burned bright and fast. Following his sole season in Toronto, Leonard found himself headed for the California sun as he landed with the LA Clippers.
Pairing up with Paul George to form the Clippers' superstar duo, Kawhi has charted a new path for himself. However, considering the injuries he has faced, things haven't necessarily gone according to plan.
Having missed a significant amount of time due to injury, Kawhi hasn't played against the Raptors since the 2020-21 season. Making his return from injury this season, Leonard also made his subsequent return to Toronto.
Needless to say, Kawhi Leonard still felt the love from the city of Toronto. Linking up with Drake following the Clippers' win, Leonard still had solid currency with the Raptors superfan.
Kawhi and Drake show love after the Clippers win in Toronto 🤝 https://t.co/poVNbNYzS8
While the moment was fleeting, it was touching in its own right. With a win to top off his return to Toronto, Leonard will surely relish the moment a little.
Kawhi Leonard was mediocre against the Raptors
While the matchup against the Toronto Raptors gave the LA Clippers superstar an opportunity to shine brightest, Kawhi Leonard was rather ordinary. Notching only 15 points on the night with seven rebounds and eight assists, Leonard took a backseat in the game.
The winning effort was primarily driven by Paul George, Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell. The trio contributed over 20 points each, with George and Zubac leading the way with 23 points each.
The Clippers displayed an extremely balanced scoring effort in this back-to-back matchup against Toronto. Considering it was back-to-back, seeing Kawhi in action is also a rather big deal as he continues to recover from injuries.
While Leonard's performance was less than impressive, the Clippers notched their seventh win in their past nine games. Improving to 21-15 on the season, the Clippers find themselves ranked fourth in the Western Conference.