Kawhi Leonard played for the Toronto Raptors for just one season, but he led the franchise to its first-ever NBA title.
Before getting traded to the Toronto Raptors in 2018, Kawhi Leonard had a rotten relationship with the San Antonio Spurs.
Leonard initially wanted to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, but Magic Johnson’s one mistake prevented that from becoming a reality.
Playing in Toronto ultimately turned out to be the best-case scenario for the Klaw. Speaking of his 2019 NBA playoff run, it featured a plethora of iconic moments.
Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty ImagesSerge Ibaka revisits Kawhi Leonard’s game-winner vs the Philadelphia 76ers
Kawhi Leonard was a notch above the rest during the 2019 postseason run. He also pulled off a seemingly impossible shot during Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round.
Yes, the same shot that bounced multiple times on the rim before going in. At the time, former NBA player Serge Ibaka was a member of the Raptors and one of the closest people to Leonard on the court.
“Honestly, I didn’t believe that shot was going to go in. I was like ‘No way.’ I was ready to go for an offensive rebound, so I was almost close to tipping the ball.
“I was like ‘Oh my god!” Ibaka on the Hello and Welcome podcast.
Being an elite defender, Ibaka’s first instinct was to tip the ball in. However, he forced himself to stay away from the ball, and it paid off.
Serge Ibaka says he would have retired if he messed up Kawhi Leonard’s game-winner
In reality, Ibaka never touched the ball, and the Raptors advanced to the next round. They then defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals and outplayed the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
But what if Ibaka had indeed ruined that iconic shot? Well, Ibaka says he would have retired after that series.
“If I had touched that ball, I’d have to retire because there’s no way you come back from that. When the ball was bouncing, I was ready to go, ready to tip off. Thank god I didn’t touch that ball,” Ibaka stated.
Not only did Ibaka not retire, but he played for four more years in the NBA. The former 2x NBA blocks champion is yet to officially retire, but he has been out of the league since the 2022-23 NBA season.