Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Toronto Raptors winning the 2019 NBA Finals.
This was due in part to Toronto taking a gamble by trading for Kawhi Leonard. It was not an easy decision though as DeMar DeRozan was a casualty to make that deal with the San Antonio Spurs.
Toronto defeated an all-time great Golden State Warriors squad in six games. A team that featured Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green:
It’s already been 5 years (June 13, 2019) since the @Raptors became NBA champions! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/zU5xxwvXhS
— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) June 13, 2024
Unfortunately, Durant and Thompson suffered injuries that plagued Golden State from being able to compete with the Raptors.
Regardless, Toronto took advantage of this opportunity and was able to defeat the Warriors 114-110 in Game 6 at Oracle Arena.
Leonard only spent one year in Canada, but it became well worth it due to winning a championship. He averaged 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals on 49.6 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three.
However, there was a significant supporting cast surrounding Leonard with Pascal Siakam, Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol, Danny Green, Kyle Lowry, Norman Powell, O.G. Anunoby and Fred VanVleet.
All of those names played a monumental role in the 2018-19 championship season.
Ultimately, things did not pan out for the Raptors after that 2019 championship. They failed to build around Anunoby, VanVleet and Siakam.
After some mediocrity, president Masai Ujiri drafted Scottie Barnes and then decided to build around him.
Hopefully, Toronto can get back into the mix with Barnes and his new running mates RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.
Former Raptors champion Serge Ibaka signs with Real Madrid of Liga ACB
After leaving Toronto, Serge Ibaka struggled to remain a rotation player for a playoff team.
Now, he is signing with Real Madrid of Liga ACB for next season to hopefully keep his career alive.
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