TORONTO (July 8) — Perhaps never in North American history has a proud, diverse city “gone down” on a person as Toronto did Kawhi Leonard during his apparent struggle to choose between re–signing with the Raptors or fleeing to Los Angeles. This was prostitution on a scale witnessed, around here, only twice before — when our municipal reps threw themselves at the dirty feet of the International Olympic Committee while bidding for the Summer Games of 1996 and 2008. Toronto was twice defeated: by Atlanta and Beijing.
So, I ask: Was it worth, during the past couple of weeks, all the gratuitous devotion? The billboards… the websites… the freebie offers… the pledges from John Tory? In the end, do you think Kawhi even noticed? Or, did he fly here from California as a courtesy; as something to do in–between conspiratorial phone–chats with Paul George? Who knows? Maybe while that CP–24 helicopter tracked his route from Pearson Airport to Scotiabank Arena, Kawhi was on the blower to Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, threatening to stay in Toronto a few extra hours; to “pretend” a little harder until Ballmer and his staff agreed to the ransom–trade with Oklahoma City. If anything, the optics were mildly threatening. Otherwise, Leonard’s plan was to stick around for as long as it required to fuel his outbound charter. Still, we begged… cajoled… coddled.
Do you think residents and political types in Boston would have done the same for Kawhi? With their football team in the Super Bowl practically every year. Their baseball team having won four World Series titles in the past 1½ decades (after zero championships in 88 seasons). Their hockey team in the Stanley Cup final three times in the past 11 years, winning once. And, even their basketball team — prevailing 10 of 11 years between 1959 and 1969 — not having raised the Larry O–B since 2008. Or, did we, here in Toronto, pamper and caress King Leonard because he enabled our once–in–a–generation blowout? Was the annexing of an international pro sports championship so utterly foreign in these parts that we lost all dignity and self–regard? Or, should we, in hindsight, have told Kawhi: “Hey, come back to a darn–good situation… but only if you truly want to. Otherwise, thanks for the memory. It was nice knowing you. Good luck in Tinseltown.”
Of course, such candor isn’t in the DNA of “Toronto the Good”. Never has been. Likely never will be. So, we made passionate love to Kawhi, thinking that a virtual orgasm would incite him to remain a Raptor. Instead, and all the while, he was hard on (pun intended) the Clippers to acquire his running–mate, George — waving pen and paper at Ballmer. Using Bell Canada Enterprises, Rogers Communications, Larry Tanenbaum and the entire GTA as horny bystanders; as sheep–like leverage. Just in case Oklahoma City said “no thanks”.
And, when his calculating scheme unfolded; when Kawhi, as long–planned, made a U–turn toward L.A. in the middle of the night, still we complied and acquiesced. We thanked him, again, for assuaging our eternal inferiority complex. If even for a few hours.
The Golden State Warriors, champions to the very end, purchased a full–page ad in the Toronto Star, congratulating the Raptors. All the Raps did for the Warriors was end their dynasty. Let’s see if Leonard does the same for the people of Toronto, who bent over backward in the faint hope he would return. At least, it will answer a few questions about the man’s character… off the court.
But, will we, as a city, learn from any of this? I doubt it.
EMAIL: HOWARDLBERGER@GMAIL.COM
Toronto’s “world-class” pretensions will never be satisfied.
To me, I think the Raptors were spitting in the wind. Win or lose, Kawhi was going home. Now, the Raptors are the NBA champions, and nobody can take that away.
Leonard was a huge part of it. Remember, he didn’t ask to come to Toronto, he was traded here. He asked San Antonio to trade him to Los Angeles. He was traded here.
So, did the Raptors go all in and do everything in their power to get Leonard to stay? Yes. Should they have? Yes. He helped deliver a championship. All the other things such as Kawhi Eat Free, etc. are amusing, and I’m sure Leonard gave it a chuckle.
However, at the end of the day, the Raptors stood little chance of getting this guy to return. He orchestrated his own “Super Team”, with he and Paul George, to play where?, in Los Angeles, where he wanted to go all along.
Interesting to note, that John Tavares also chose to come home, and play in Toronto. Would the Long Island fans have been so venomous to Tavares, had he delivered a Stanley Cup or two before he left? Perhaps not.
Leonard came, he saw, he conquered, he left.
I recall when the Jays wanted to resign Joe Carter, they did all they could no get him back, not to the extent of “Carter Eats For Free” However, the pitched, and lobbied for Carter. What had Carter come back, was a dream he had playing along side with Devon White in the outfield. Too bad, Kawhi didn’t have the same dream about playing with the Raptors.
I feel disappointed that he left, but I don’t hold it against him. He never once made us believe he was staying. If people feel betrayed it’s because they strung themselves along making them believe he wanted to be here. The bottom line while he was here, he helped give us the greatest gift of all, an NBA Championship and for that he should always be remembered as a Toronto sports legend.
No it wasn’t worth it
Author of this article is an idiot and not a fan of the NBA. Not once in the history of the Raptors have we even sniffed an NBA championship and Kawhi got us one. We should be giving him 24 years worth of thanks. There’s nothing for the city to learn other than that Masai Ujiri is a great GM who did what he came here to do; people like this idiot author can’t be thankful for an NBA championship because he never wanted one until he heard the Raptors were in the finals.
Joke of an article!
Too bad you can’t fellate anymore. From the “idiot”.
Whether we, Torontonians, did nor did not “provide knee service”, isn’t LA Clippers doing the same? They mortgaged their future.
Now, we’ll just have to see what that means if KL doesn’t give LAC what he gave us – the championship.
Then if we didn’t do all we did to try to keep him in Toronto, we’d regret not doing it when he left and wonder if it would have changed things.
LA had billboards as well as rap songs made for Kahwi to go there. It happens with NBA stars.
This is normal stuff in regards to keeping a superstar. It’s actually a much bigger deal than any NHL player, as no player can affect a hockey game like a star can in the NBA.