Kawhi Leonard Shining as Teammate and Leader Through Preseason

NBA regular season basketball is finally here, but Toronto Raptors fans have to wait just one more day for the team’s opener. They’ll begin the new league year at home in Scotiabank Arena, taking on the Chicago Bulls at 7:30 PM EST.

Excitement always surrounds the introduction of a new season, but the Raptors have a little more to look forward to. Seven-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard is back in Toronto after being traded from the Los Angeles Clippers. In his only season with the Raptors, he led the franchise to its first-ever championship, and now he’s looking to capture the second in 2027.

Despite his career success, the elephant in the room is Leonard’s recent history. His attrition has been a major problem, and his public image only decreased further when the investigation proved that he and the Clippers engaged in illegal salary cap circumvention. He has been known to be extremely reserved throughout his career, making it a point to stay out of the public eye when possible. 

Because of the lack of positive vibes seen by the public, many question Leonard’s commitment to the sport or his teammates. Now getting a fresh start with the Raptors, he has done an excellent job expressing more of his personality and erasing the bad taste left in many fans’ mouths. After a much-needed training camp and preseason, the two-time Finals MVP has done a wonderful job integrating himself into the organization, according to head coach Darko Rajakovic.

“The guys have a lot of respect for him,” said Rajakovic. "They have great communication. They pick up his brain, ask a lot of things. He's been great with the coaches... He's been nothing but exceptional, professional from day one. His desire to be here, with this team, be with his teammates, he's really embracing the process. It's been very smooth."

On a team full of young players with little postseason experience, the former No. 15 pick in the 2011 NBA draft will be the go-to guy when his teammates need help. The beautiful thing for Toronto is Leonard has all the answers. He has the championships to discuss winning in the playoffs, DPOYs to break down different defensive skills to give an extra edge, and is coming off a career-high season of 27.9 points per game to give tips on efficient scoring from all three levels. 

It’s certainly going to be a long road ahead when adding someone of his magnitude, but the future looks undoubtedly bright. Most of the core members of the rotation are under contract for the next few years, so there is plenty of time for the team to continue to mold around both Leonard and franchise cornerstone Scottie Barnes. It already appears the former San Diego State Aztec is impacting his teammates in terms of a more dynamic offense, so only time will tell how quickly it leads to wins.