Kawhi Leonard is officially returning to the Toronto Raptors, rejoining the franchise and city that hold a special place in his career and personal life.
In a recent episode of the Raptors' Open Gym series, Leonard opened up about his decision to return to Toronto, explaining that the move was not about chasing another championship but about reconnecting with a place where he built a strong bond during his first stint.
"You know, I'm not really championship chasing, trying to find the best team I could win. You know, I didn't want to put on a thousand jerseys," Leonard said.
"And, you know, the city took a liking to my family. I took a liking to the city. Really enjoyed it. My son was born here and, you know, he's been asking me forever when he's going to come back. So, you know, he's back and, you know, he's able to see it rather than me tell him the great stories that happened."
Kawhi Leonard Returns to the Toronto Raptors
Leonard ready to take backseat behind Scottie Barnes
The video also showed a brief conversation between Leonard and Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic.
Leonard appeared impressed by Toronto's style of play last season and made it clear that he would be willing to take a secondary role behind All-Star Scottie Barnes if that is what gives the team the best chance to win.
"You guys were very aggressive last year, playing against you guys and watching. It was fun," Leonard told Rajakovic.
"I'm not here to take over anything. I want to help your vision. Help Scottie, whatever. I just want to win. If it's Scottie's team, it's his team. I just want to do whatever it takes to help you guys win," he added.
Leonard returns to where he won a championship
Leonard previously spent one season with Toronto after being traded from the San Antonio Spurs in 2018.
He averaged 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists during the 2018-19 regular season before leading the Raptors through the Eastern Conference playoffs and into the NBA Finals.
Toronto defeated the Golden State Warriors in six games to win the first NBA championship in franchise history.
Leonard posted 28.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in the Finals to earn Finals MVP honors for the second time in his career.
Now, the 35-year-old forward is coming off one of the best individual seasons of his career, averaging a career-high 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game for Los Angeles in 2025-26.