Seven years ago today, Kawhi Leonard hit a shot heard from around the world.
Seven years ago today, Kawhi Leonard hit the most iconic shot in Toronto Raptors history, and the most dramatic buzzer-beater the NBA had ever seen.
With the game tied at 90-90 and 4.2 seconds remaining in Game 7 of the 2019 Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Raptors inbounded to Leonard, who was guarded by Ben Simmons. Leonard dribbled toward the right corner, elevated over Joel Embiid’s outstretched arm, and launched a high-arching fadeaway at the buzzer.
It bounced off the rim four times before falling through, giving Toronto a 92-90 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
It was the first Game 7 buzzer-beater in NBA history and only the second shot to end a winner-take-all series in league history, after Michael Jordan’s against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1989.
Leonard’s individual performance that night was historic in its own right. He scored 41 points on 39 field-goal attempts, the most shot attempts by any player in regulation of a Game 7 in NBA history. 15 of those points came in the fourth quarter alone as Leonard battled through Philly’s high-end defense to secure the big win.
“It was great,” Leonard said afterward. “That’s something I never experienced before, Game 7, a game-winning shot. It was a blessing to be able to get to that point and make that shot and feel that moment.”
What that shot set in motion was an unforgettable run to the Larry O’Brien trophy. The Raptors eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, then beat back-to-back reigning champions Golden State Warriors in six games to win Toronto’s first and, to this day, only title in franchise history.
Leonard left for the Los Angeles Clippers that summer, but the shot permanently embedded itself in the DNA of this city and this organization.
Seven years later, the Raptors are in a different phase entirely. The franchise now runs through Scottie Barnes, a 24-year-old building toward the next defining era of Toronto basketball.
This spring’s first-round playoff series against Cleveland produced its own version of a signature moment. With Toronto trailing in overtime of Game 6 and facing potential elimination, RJ Barrett drilled a three-pointer to beat the shot clock with 1.2 seconds remaining to force Game 7.
The Raptors ended up losing Game 7 to Cleveland. But the foundation for the next chapter is in place. Seven years after Kawhi’s four bounces changed everything, this franchise is building toward something again.