When Kawhi Leonard was traded in the summer of 2018 from the San Antonio Spurs to the Toronto Raptors , few saw the Canadian team as a legitimate contender that year. Despite being Finals MVP, The Klaw was not yet perceived as a top-tier superstar, and the rest of the roster offered no guarantees of success.
In his seven seasons with the Spurs , Kawhi had only two campaigns averaging over 20 points per game, and he was largely viewed through the lens of Gregg Popovich's brilliant system.
Immediately upon joining Nick Nurse's team, the 6-foot-6 forward wanted to show the world that the Spurs had lost out in the trade and that he was a bona fide superstar. The Raptors were dominating the East heading into the trade deadline, yet, according to Fred VanVleet , things weren't smooth sailing at first.
" Kawhi wasn't passing. It wasn't a great vibe between everybody. It was like little pockets here and there, guys f—ng with each other. We had to work it out because we didn't also get Marc until the deadline, we made a big trade at the deadline. We traded half of our team in the last minute of the trade deadline ," VanVleet recalled on the "Unguarded" podcast.
Clearly, Leonard struggled not just with the medical situation surrounding him, but also with his role on the team. He felt he deserved a bigger responsibility, which makes sense given that he ultimately proved he could carry a team on the biggest stage, even against someone like LeBron James .
Looking back, it's easy to view that squad through the lens of champions. At the time, VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam weren't yet considered the players they are today. Even though they had been drafted by Toronto, their careers had slow starts, while Serge Ibaka was the only true veteran presence.
As VanVleet noted, everything changed with the arrival of Marc Gasol . The team, which had been carefully constructed behind the scenes by Masai Ujiri, suddenly became a well-oiled machine. They combined length, athleticism, basketball IQ and the perfect balance of youth and experience.
The season culminated in the franchise's first-ever title, and VanVleet recalled that Kawhi finally had his moment of recognition, even considering himself better than Kobe Bryant .
" Kawhi Leonard changed my view on a lot of s—t, but it was one thing in particular that I overheard, and he didn't say it to me; I just overheard it. And it was a conversation that was being had, and the sentiment of the conversation, because I ain't going to quote nobody, but the sentiment of the conversation was when we won the championship in 2019 about all that s—t he's like 'I'm better than Kobe Bryant ,'" VanVleet said.
Although he demonstrated that he could be a key factor in a championship system and remained calm for most of his career, Leonard clearly had the pride common to any elite player. While this behavior didn't always align with his reserved character, he felt he was the best player in the world.
As VanVleet explained, this early skepticism led Leonard to play a bit of hero ball at the start, but he quickly shifted into championship mode, understanding that he couldn't win without his teammates, a fact proven during one of the best playoff runs of the modern era, which Kawhi capped off with his second title and second Finals MVP award.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
