Kawhi Leonard is revisiting his championship-winning season with the Toronto Raptors in a tribute video released ahead of the team’s season opener on Wednesday night.
“You never asked me to be anybody else. You let me be me,” said Leonard in a video posted to Instagram Tuesday, captioned “As I Return.”
“Toronto. It’s been a minute since I left, and one thing I’ve learned about time: people move on, things change, and even the greatest moments become memories,” Leonard said.
“But some things, some things stay with them. What we shared here. That’s forever.”
The video marks one of many social media posts Leonard has made since being traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Toronto Raptors.
The trade became official on Sept. 14.
Wednesday night’s game marks the first time Leonard will don a Raptors jersey since Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.
“One thing I know, it wasn’t luck the first time, and I still know what it takes. But I’m not here to live in the past. I’m here for what’s next,” he said.
“Here in the north, we got a young team, hungry and ready. And just like we had our moment, we’re trying to shock the world.”
The Raptors are set to face the Chicago Bulls at Scotiabank Arena at 7:30 p.m.
