Kawhi Leonard's lone season in Toronto saw him at the peak of his postseason powers | Why They Won

The 2010s Toronto Raptors were excellent, but kept running into LeBron James come playoff time. But with LeBron in Los Angeles and Kawhi Leonard now up north thanks to a surprising trade, 2019 turned a decade of heartbreak into cause for celebration. In this episode of Why They Won, Kirk Goldsberry dives into the numbers behind Leonard's unreal playoffs and the Raptors' scoring depth.
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[@Derlaid]

Marc Gasol deserves more of a mention. An incredibly underrated part of the championship team. The Raptors don't win without the Kawhi trade, but they also don't win if they didn't pick up Gasol at the trade deadline.

[@balvinderbance]

likely lose in the 2nd round. That man put Embiid in a cell, and was the "Giannis Wall" that Kawhi funneled Giannis into. Insane defensive team, 2 DPOY's in the starting lineup, their weakest defender was Powell who was still decent. Not to mention Anunoby, one of the league's best defenders even back then (today he's DPOY-level) didn't even play a single game that entire playoffs!

[@samuelhook591]

Gasol was such a huge part of that chip... ugh i wish we coulda kept that group together for a 2nd run at it

[@Curumno]

I entirely agree - it's a glaring absence in this otherwise good video. Gasol's defence on Vucevic and Embiid in particular was crucial

[@aaronphdbdnd5535]

I agree although it was more like Horford's impact on the C's in recent years in making a lot of good decisions and thus not really being able to be mentioned in a stat-heavy video like this

[@cityandlocal]

Joel Embiid sends Marc a card every Father's Day. Let's not forget the first game after that series in the following season, he held the process to ZERO POINTS.

[@mymagicisntgivingup5908]

The team that made Joel Embiid and Philly fans cry.

[@NotAsianButFlip]

And made giannis walk out on malika andrews lol

[@superdennygumper7412]

@@NotAsianButFlip and made Steph slam the ball like a lil b!tch

[@BullyMaguire387]

Yeah with the luckiest bounce, Kawhi is probably had the luckiest game winner ever 😆

[@bryva]

The fadeaway*

[@MrLizrd]

@@BullyMaguire387still won tho:)

[@LukeFX1111]

That 2019 Raptor's team was different, completely well rounded top to bottom with insane chemistry. Kawhi should have never left Toronto.

[@anthonys3631]

He could've at least given them one more year. I'll never forgive him being one and done in Toronto. They could've repeated as NBA champions had he stayed another year in Toronto.

[@LukeFX1111]

@@anthonys3631 100% agree man, Raps take LA's bubble trophy that year and go back to back.

[@daveydmur]

Raptors fan here. We were old and done by 2020. Gasol, Ibaka, Green and Kawhi were all getting old. I don't think we repeat either way

[@LukeFX1111]

@@daveydmur Kawhi was 27 at the time, Raps definitely had another run left in the tank, continuity is a big thing in the NBA. Especially considering the following year Jimmy left Philly, and KD left the Warriors. Raps would have ran through the east again instead of Miami and faced that Lakers bubble team and won. Lakers barely got by Miami that year, no way they would have beat the us.

[@azu111]

@@daveydmur If you actually were a raps fan you would know we were one shot away and Siakam playing at even 50% from going to the ECF in 2020

[@HAA0603]

this was easily the best time of my life. been a Raptors fan my whole life and i would relive this moment a million times if i had to

[@charlesagro9265]

dude, you're tellin me!! Monday: championship parade. Tuesday: Phish plays a hometown show. Can you guys maybe space out these precious events??

[@eeriekekashi419]

Same here man, as a long time fan myself it just hit so different going through all the difficult years.

[@finishfirst4580]

Dude you guys won because of the other team got injured

[@Sazerrider]

RAPTORSFAN4LIFE It was a great run, wish Kawhi stayed another year or two though.

[@HAA0603]

@@finishfirst4580 KD got injured at the start of the series and the Warriors still had Klay. but we were 3-1 up in the series then he got injured. injuries are part of the game and it was amazing seeing another team win the championship for once instead of seeing the same team win it again and having all the bandwagon fans go crazy. if the Raptors could beat teams like the Bucks (who had the best record that year) and the 76ers, they can beat the Warriors

[@GhostHasIQ]

One of the most underrated teams assembled all time imo. Even before Golden State they essentially went through 2 finals series before they even got to the finals fr. All time team an run.

[@doublebigMark]

A lot of people forget. Both the 76ers and the Bucks that year were essentially ECF-bound

[@shawnp4155]

Well said...even before Leonard, Gasol, and Green they were on 59 & 58 wins seasons. And that was before Siakam and OG even were in top form.

[@masonharkness6437]

As a Canadian and raps fan, it was a awesome year. Knew Kawhi wasn’t gonna stay but seeing how things have unfolded for him in LA, feel like he would’ve found continued success if he stayed

[@Notforjordy]

Nah 😂 he was always going home and if not for injuries clips should’ve been champs

[@therefep9723]

@@Notforjordyshoulda woulda coulda

[@Fiftycents50]

Sucks. If Durant and Klay Thomson didn’t get hurt NOBODY would ever talk about Toronto. Toronto may have been the least talented team that ever won it in that decade.

[@SkinnyTheDON]

@@Fiftycents50 always salty mfers tryna downplay the raps winning a chip. stay mad chump

[@sports2hedz542]

You forget that Leonard was nursing a pretty serious injury himself...they had to load manage him constantly in the finals. Just the boys up north don't cry when they get hurt.

[@oriocookie1988]

Worth mentioning that in every series different players stepped up. Fred was garbage versus the Sixers but was crucial to beating the Bucks. It was truly the perfect storm of personnel, in game tactical adjustments, and just overall timing of everything that happened in the background in the NBA that year. One of the best defensive championship teams IMO.

[@glovs4188]

And there's one guy who is consistent in all those series. The pillar of morale of the team. The guy rhey keep depending on when they're losing hope. Fvv said it himself. They follow kawhi's lead and demeanor.

[@AarijAnwer]

Incredible run. Thank you for the summary Kirk. The Raptors were nearly two-deep at each position. Everyone in the rotation (9 men) can shoot and defend. They had 3 playmakers on the court at all times. This was a deep, deep team led by an innovative coach. The GSW team had Klay until the last quarter of game 6 and got their butts kicked. It should've been a gentleman's sweep. Kyle, FVV Green, Norm Kawhi, OG Pascal Gasol, Serge Legendary team.

[@nathanjuan6042]

GSW just got injured that's why. KD and Thompson were out what do you expect.

[@181cameron]

​@@nathanjuan6042which is why the Warriors should be congratulated as "2019 NBA Champions (if KD and Klay weren't injured)." That's what the banner reads, right?

[@nathanjuan6042]

@@181cameron Champion by luck ! When kahwi leaves the raps everything goes back to normal .

[@arthurau9231]

@@nathanjuan6042 The same can be said of the Cavs as well then. When Lebron left, so did the Cavs chances at winning a championship without Lebron.

[@arthurau9231]

@@181cameron Cavs won the 2016 NBA Finals over an injured Warriors team as well.

[@carlinjames9475]

man I miss these Raptors - this is one of the best "could have been Dynasty" questions out there

[@bobchris9423]

nah, kinda glad he screwed the clippers instead of us..

[@dj55928]

Beat a injured warriors 😂😂wasn’t finna be no dynasty

[@M_11_m41n]

​@@dj55928 I don't care if the team is injured! I am trying to win a championship and sometimes you just have to put the foot over their throat to get it.

[@dj55928]

@@M_11_m41n yeah whatever just didn’t like how the raptors crowd cheered when KD got hurt lol that another reason why that ring is forever fraudulent

[@M_11_m41n]

@@dj55928 Dude, plenty of crowds have cheered for players being injured, even if they're from their own team. It sucks, but injuries happen. And if you're a team that has a chance to win a championship and your opponent is shorthanded, you would have done the same thing.

[@samuelcolby7786]

This is one of my favourite 2k teams of all time. Deepest 10 man rotation I’ve ever seen

[@r.j2023]

Man this run gave me chills. They were special

[@Raptors4Life.]

2019 is a year I will Never forget as a Raptors fan. The road to the championship win was tough but that 2019 squad was amazing. All the players wanted it, the coach and staffs wanted it, the organization wanted it and the fans wanted it too. They players gave everything from starters to players coming from the bench. They all deserve it and the fans too. I’m so proud of this Franchise. 🏆🦖🇨🇦

[@TheDarkness86]

I have a mark in my basement from me jumping in joy after "the shot" I refuse to fix it too ! It reminds me of the greatest time in raptors history. ( Been a fan since 97) That team was special, I have nothing but respect for Kawhi , man could have saved his body for fee agency but man gave it his all. This team outside of the super teams in the modern era was one of the most balanced teams that I had ever seen. They really didn't have a weakness and their bench had 3 or 4 players who are now starters or who were starters. No doubt if Kawhi came back for more year and was healthy the raptors would have been back to back champs. That raptors team with Kawhi would have smacked the lakers for the bubble ring.

[@finishfirst4580]

You guys won because the other team got injured.

[@Raptors4Life.]

@@finishfirst4580 cry about it 😂 the 2019 trophy 🏆 is in Canada 🇨🇦. Do something about it? 😂

[@duhGOATman]

Every player was essential to the championship, idk how many of you watched Serge Ibakas how hungry are you videos but there are one or two videos of the whole squad just vibing and eating together and you could feel that energy the whole year.

[@muaaadib]

looking back, this team was insanely stacked

[@Chromedesu444]

High key right…Kawhi vanvleet pascal and Kyle Lowry

[@rickmayabolis]

ya... 2 bench guys got max contracts...

[@balvinderbance]

@@Chromedesu444 Kawhi Danny Kyle Pascal Marc Serge Fred Norm OG an entire 2-way team with elite playmaking, shooting, IQ and D. I doubt I'll ever see a Raptors team that good again

[@cabby404]

@@balvinderbance Sadly OG missed the playoffs that year and there were times we definitely could have used him.

[@finishfirst4580]

They literally got lucky the other team got hurt

[@yvngflame4069]

The 2019 raptors are one of the most underrated championship teams of all time. They deserve to be up there with some of the best teams. Their chemistry was insane.

[@finishfirst4580]

No they don’t. They literally got lucky because the other team got injured. That is literally the only reason they had a chance. KD got injured. Klay Thompson got injured. That is the only chance they had and it happened

[@mjwbulich]

​@@finishfirst4580Thank you. The chemistry was so amazing that Kawhi immediately bounced. A true band of brothers.

[@robgrossi2368]

@@mjwbulichKawhi wanted to be in Cali, full stop. Nothing to do with the chemistry or the city of Toronto.

[@aliboroumand8981]

​@@finishfirst4580they beat the best Phili team ever made as well as the bucks to get to the finals alone. Also they had an injured OG the whole playoffs

[@Anti-lytics]

Everyone talking about how Jimmy Butler had a historical run in these recent playoffs. Kawhi had THE greatest single playoff run in 2019 in the history of the NBA

[@iVince905]

2011 Nowitzki was a legendary run as well. He was unstoppable that post season.

[@anthropoid539]

Dirk

[@brandengrellmore7635]

The further away from this we get the more we will learn to appreciate how special, well timed and perfectly constructed this team was. Legendary 🏆

[@jamiekoh6113]

My lowkey favorite moment of this season was when the Raptors beat the Celtics with the double block from the two Spur players (Green + Leonard). It was a wakeup call to everyone that this season was going to be DIFFERENT.

[@vmunit2931]

A shame the Team didn't stay together for one more season But great memories from the championship season. I love that no look steal by Kawhi at 0:48

[@Tam0de]

Kawhi knew where the pass was going before it even left the passer's hands - he also knew it was going to be a bounce pass. I guarantee he saw the other player cutting towards the net at the corner of his eyes.

[@amitkumar77172]

Kirk is killing it with this kind of content. I absolutely love it. This is real reporting instead of the constant debate shows on ESPN.

[@aaronphdbdnd5535]

This ain't reporting so much as analysis. I'm glad they still do this content although its less and less. However I feel like this stuff is best for people that missed out on these events when they happen since most of this would've been self evident otherwise

[@beastmry]

Look at the view difference. Most people don't want this, they want the drama unfortunately. People hate on First Take but everyone tunes in.

[@aaronphdbdnd5535]

@@beastmry Right but they could do analysis and more in depth reporting if they took on a much younger and thus cheaper group of content creators like, say, Secret Base and used stuff like that to try and fill the hours that like, for example, Kellerman was using for a fraction of the cost

[@tridra5714]

the story of toronto had more to do with the amazing run to the finals than frankly the series itself. it was a legendary run

[@S1MONPHOEN1X]

The highlights from this playoff run never get old❤❤. So proud of that team.

[@cenastar00]

team? it was all Kawhi

[@georgeclooney3234]

@@cenastar00 you obviously did not watch the video or the playoffs that year lmao

[@kylegough936]

@@cenastar00casual

[@cenastar00]

@@georgeclooney3234 I did Kawhi lead the team in scoring 19 times, Siakam 4 times and Lowry once, he carried those bums

[@thatkidfromthatshow]

@@cenastar00 My boy forgot the post Parker, Manu and Duncan Spurs with Kawhi, or the Clippers with Kawhi, he's never done nearly as well when he's not surrounded by multiple top tier talent. Also how are you shocked that the number one scoring option leads the team in scoring?! You may need to see a doctor because your blood might be type 'COPE+'

[@masonharkness6437]

I still get chills when I watch that game buzzer beater, me and my homie were watching live and we both jumped out of our seats at the same time 😂

[@HarryFromTheNorthSide]

The 2019 raptors was a stacked team,even the bench was amazing

[@Jefffryjames]

Honestly they act like Kawhi carried the team when they had a better record the next season without him. That team had insane depth

[@dshiznz10]

@@Jefffryjames lol Kawhi carried when he needed to carry. Don’t play yourself. I didn’t see that better record translate into anything in the post season.

[@Worldsportstalk24]

@@dshiznz10I mean, yeah obviously they aren’t as good losing Kawhi… no team would be. But their next season showed that it wasn’t just him

[@WitchYuki22]

​@Worldsportstalk24 the point is that they needed Kawhi in 2019 to move past Sixers and Bucks, let alone the finals. I mean raptors already had good season records with Derozan before Kawhi went there. Yet they couldn't get past Lebronto at all. That's the difference between having an all star and a superstar.

[@Worldsportstalk24]

@@WitchYuki22 for sure, nobody is arguing that having a guy like Kawhi didn’t help, it obviously did. But you can say that about literally any championship team - “oh the Bucks wouldn’t have won without Giannis” or the “Warriors wouldn’t win without Curry” or “the Nuggets wouldn’t win without Jokic” etc. the point is he was on the team and that every member of that team contributed something big. It’s a dumb argument made to discredit the Raptors and I’ll have none of it

[@mogwai_for_sale]

correction: it was kawhi who told nurse that he is going to take giannis... after being down 0-2 and frustration brewing, kawhi had enough and took matters into his own hands. no credit should be given to nurse in this decision.

[@gerrythorington7332]

You are correct!

[@zurabeats5728]

Siakam really deserves so much more credit the man hooped day in and day out with kawhi. Their duo was insane

[@louloop9137]

Bruh, ESPN forgot to mention the most important reason of all: Just having THE 3-peat Lucky Charm Patrick McCaw sealed the deal & the historic Championship!!! 🏆 Also the midseason trades for GasoLin: Fortune Cookie Linsanity Jeremy Lin gave time for Fred VanVleet to heal in his injuries before the playoffs And big time addition of Marc Gasol to stop Embiid & Lopez in the playoffs

[@souljat1131]

Thank you so much for this video. Had tears of joy watching this. You had to be there. What a time.

[@HOLES69]

Kawhi/Siakam was a deadly duo

[@Banana-Clip]

Statistically one of the greatest finals duos of all time

[@Fiftycents50]

Helped that Durant and Klay Thompson got injured. Or else Toronto wouldn’t have stood a chance. Stay classless Toronto

[@stump4522]

​@@Fiftycents504 years and won 2022. But still salty. Stay Salty Warriors.

[@koomjorge]

⁠@@Fiftycents50 two words 2015 Warriors

[@tonberrygaming3267]

fred was pretty clutch too

[@joeraptor1]

A few things about the 2019 Raptors that makes you wonder what may have been had they'd stay together: 1. The starting lineup only played about 20-25 games together in the regular season. You could see as the playoffs went on, that group was gelling as Kawhi gained more and more trust in his supporting cast. Another year together would have advanced that chemistry even more. 2. OG missed pretty much the entire playoffs that year. Adding a healthy and maturing OG to the group the following year would have been a huge addition.

[@elrio404]

and siakam leonard duo was very underappreciated more of dynamic duo

[@daeveahncaldwell2971]

Before the injury’s kawhi was like top 5 in the league spurs was blowing out the warriors with KD before zaza stepped under him on that shot

[@angelomanzi9272]

Can someone tell me the instrumental at the beginning of this video?

[@vmunit2931]

I remember tuning into that game by accident. I stuck around because Kawhi was going on a tear and I watched the injury happen. After Kawhi was out the Spurs pretty much got destroyed.

[@pickle.786]

lol it was barely 1 game, a playoff series is 4 to 7 games.

[@Justfrank_0]

@@pickle.786exactly 🤣 these ppl are hilarious

[@dionwatson4710]

Now that I think about it, Pascal and Kawhi was sick duo. That man’s Kawhi do well when he has great PG and PF. Everything else falls in place.

[@stump4522]

What make Pascal key was he is more athletic than Kawhi due to his knee. Suprisingly they complement each other wings.

[@Tam0de]

DeMar upon seeing that thumbnail with Lowry craddling the trophy: "That should have been me, ME!" 😂

[@TheHollywood1971]

This was awesome! It was such a great time for Toronto and happy to say we had the best of Kawhi ❤

[@bobbyshmurdashat3369]

Everyone at my high school was rocking the bandage under their eye in support of FVV and the Raptors. Legendary time to be from Toronto

[@osmanmohamed6882]

My Graduation Day and Raptors Game 6 🏆. Best day of my life 🇨🇦

[@thingsofinterest603]

Loved every game, it was incredible watching Kawhi out there. He was unstoppable.

[@AsianVideoGamer]

The roster on that Raptors team is unmatched. Literally entire starting lineup is full of all stars

[@jojoprocess2820]

Bruh, siakam green and gasol were absolutely not allstars at that point. And lowry was a fringe allstar

[@mjwbulich]

And if Klay and KD dont get hurt the Dubs curb stomp them. Please, just stfu and enjoy your lone championship. The basketball gods saw sit to gift you a ring but don't try and pretend they were the better team. Its embarrassing.

[@Nimajneb42069]

weren’t all all stars at that point, only kawhi and lowry. Siakam and FVV took their game to the next level in the postseason and gasol just meshed perfectly. They spent that entire season being scrutinized and underrated which is what makes them a unique championship team

[@kengreen574]

They go back to back if Kawhi stays

[@aaronphdbdnd5535]

Naw. AD played maybe his best in those finals and the 5 was TOR's weakest point.

[@darnellwilliams8783]

​@@aaronphdbdnd5535Naw Kahwi made the biggest mistake of his career leaving the raptors he had the perfect team they would've definitely repeated

[@aaronphdbdnd5535]

@@darnellwilliams8783 Gasol+Ibaka vs AD Dwight and Javale? I don't think they could switch Siakam on 'em. They'd be pounded inside and you gotta remember that apart from Rondo LAL had no one of consequence shorter than 6'4'' while TOR had 3 of their key guys smaller. It'd be close but given his desire to be home, how he's so invisible in media and his injury history it makes complete sense why he'd leave Canada for LA

[@mhdab2416]

@@aaronphdbdnd5535 Dwight and Javale shooting lol compared to Ibaka and Gasol

[@aaronphdbdnd5535]

@@mhdab2416 I was talking more AD's shooting and Dwight and Javale's defense versus the meagre scoring TOR's bigs could provide when you factor how none of their bigs would've been able to stop AD

[@BubbleGumPlant]

I’m glad this video didn’t disrespect Vanvleet and gave him the recognition he deserves 9:30

[@zaidtoots]

Thank you ESPN, this was amazing

[@C-4-C]

Best year evrrr! Waited 24+ years for an nba team / championship was never a fan of hockey here in Toronto it was always ball. Hope to see this team grab another one 👌🏽

[@samarai82]

People don't respect this team, before Kawhi they had a deep roster. This team was top 3 in the East before him. Lebron left the East because he saw what was coming with Milwaukee, Philly, Toronto and Boston. Kawhi just put them over the hump, but Lowry, VanFleet, Siakim Gasol and Ibaka were beasts. This was a Great team.

[@rollingwins]

I remember where I was for every series! History. Game 7 vs Philly & the last 4 games in Bucks series was legendary.

[@pjx607]

Kawhi really left this to join the dysfunctional Clippers team

[@ichirosuzuki2252]

Clippers aren't dysfunctional. PG and Kawhi are always just injured.

[@btafbm]

Raptors would have easily went back to back if Kawhi stayed and maybe even a three peat

[@jrev8089]

Especially in 2020. All the top teams were not as strong, Lakers team was weak, Butler and Heat represented the east, and Warriors were irrelevant that year.

[@KP-wt8qr]

@@jrev8089 2020 Raptors had their best ever win % in franchise history at .736, 53-19 record and 2nd place in league for 2nd straight year...without Kawhi, yeaa add Kawhi and that's a b2b.

[@dj55928]

@@jrev8089don’t get ahead of yourself don’t forget it took for klay and KD to miss games for the raptors to win😂😂niccas wasn’t repeating why you think kawhi left 🤡

[@rlmalonzo1184]

@@jrev8089 "that lakers team was weak" Bro tryna sneak a lie for the sake of his hate lmao That lakers team won 50+ games and the best defense in the league with LeBron top 2 in MVP and AD top 2 in DPOY (and arguably the best defender in the league). That team also has a bunch of 3&D wings and guards btw. Also a the 3 back end of the defense in AD, Dwigt and JaVale. And bench scoring in rondo and Kuzma and morris who payed great. That team was complete than many can remember bcoz they focused too much on the bubble that they overlook how legit they were BEFORE the covid shutdown. And btw I don't think raps would beat the bucks in 2021, because the bucks in 2021 was way better, they added jrue, BP and giannis improved a lot.

[@jrev8089]

@@rlmalonzo1184 okay, yes I admit I exaggerated. Lakers we’re really good, and deserve credit, but just saying some of the top teams got weaker that year, including the defending champions and the Warriors.

[@shonehi546tim9]

I think it's disrespectful to talk about the Warriors' injuries. Toronto was there and no matter who was on the court, they were going to win.

[@reagankarcher3718]

Yeah idk about that one

[@plutoburn]

I'm still sour Kawhi left. The season went just about as perfect as it can for Kawhi to consider staying. Load management he required, fan support, winning and max salary were all his, I wonder if he regretted not staying given his situation now.

[@Grind2shine386]

No he's in LA bro,it's never cold and he's home

[@SleekTdot]

Some credit needs to be given to that team defence. If you actually watched those games (not just the highlights or looking at the stats) you would have seen some of the best defence ever played. I loved the way that it was poetic that in the last moments to clinch the championship it was won with their defence. What an amazing team. Kawhi should have at the very least ran it back one more year then go to the Clippers to never be seen in the finals again….lol

[@aarongreen8325]

Respect to ESPN for the post 🔥

[@nigelmatthews3220]

Kawhis career would of catapulted had he stayed on the raptors

[@nelsonds75]

Toronto had crazy depth they just didn't rely on 2 or 3 superstar players. That whole team stepped up and played hard

[@nathanielsmith3786]

Forever thankful for kawhi during this championship run......never thought I would see the day the raptors would secure a championship 💯💯💯💯

[@ChrisP6789]

Best summer ive ever had in Toronto! This team was stacked. I always get goosebumps coming back to this season & run. Downtown was crazy that night we won.

[@KP-wt8qr]

That Raptors team was a beast, great title run and a historic team.

[@Native722]

They could've ran it back

[@KP-wt8qr]

@@Native722 They pretty much did, essentially the same team except Kawhi and Danny, finished 53-19 in 2020.

[@weho_brian]

naw they beat a pretty weak GS team

[@ainanirina758]

​@@weho_brian If you want to go on "what if" just know that they swept the warriors during the regular season with Durant in. And if we go straight facts, the raptors have only lost 3 quarters during the whole GS series. They won and nothing will change about that

[@KP-wt8qr]

@@weho_brian A "pretty weak GS" team that still steamrolled through the west lmao 🧂

[@dabrownguy7356]

One thing that people forget is that prior to the Covid shut down, the Raptors had the second or third best record in the league. In essence what killed the Raptors championship aspirations was the pandemic. After the bubble the team began to change into what it has become now.

[@AreYouEddie]

They still finished the reg season 2nd best and dominated the Lakers in the bubble. Even with a shaky pascal. NN won COTY too...15 game win streak that year...

[@vernon29302930]

I firmly believe that if the raps didn’t meet the Celtics in round 2 the raps would’ve won back to back. The Celtics were the only team that really gave them trouble that year because the Celtics were vastly more talented at the exact same positions etc.

[@AreYouEddie]

@@vernon29302930 I dunno. I think we were vastly superior in all positions pre covid. Pascal and Tatum were both excelling and at the all star break they had comparable stats. Og was out playing lebron like he had a vengeance for 2018. Gasol held embiid to 0. But somehow after the bubble they didn't look like the same team at all. Serge was stuck doing ig stories and pascal couldn't leave the country. We were finding our groove and had Kyle not been fouled out, we would've executed better down the stretch of game 7. Game 6 Kyle was one of the best performances he's ever had and no one will remember it fondly because of how game 7 went. They just criticize pascal and fvv.

[@vernon29302930]

@@AreYouEddie fair point. Maybe I shouldn’t have used the term “vastly”. Let’s say I believe the Celtics were more talented, just enough, at the same positions. The Celtics fed on the raptors all year hence why I was worried. Like I said, they were the only team I was worried about meeting in the playoffs and it still went 7.

[@minom2619]

I will never forget. 2020 raps were so good and I honestly believed they would win back to back chips. It would’ve been so sick to raptors win it without kawhi. (I’m still butthurt he left us lol). The bubble messed us up for sure ! Siakam was atrocious on both offence (especially in the clutch) and defence (also in the clutch). He was a turnover machine and honestly him being on the court would help Boston. I won’t forget. Also, Ibaka would come off the bench and play great but Nick Nurse wasn’t playing him.. I personally think siakam should’ve been benched for his poor performances. It was every game and I was hoping he would come back to what he was but it seemed like the bubble really impacted him. Ibaka definitely needed more minutes with point god Lowry man.. that duo has to be the most underrated duo in NBA history. That pick and roll was automatic! It was good run in 2020 tho, my boy Lowry definitely made me so proud as he played like he was trying to defend his championship, and that’s all I ever ask for from my team

[@imscreezy]

As a Canadian, I think we can all say the real MVP was Danny Green. Injuring Klay was our only hope after Durant was out

[@kylesherlock3859]

They were very fortunate with injuries, especially considering they had the most injured superstar this era

[@Wholisticandy]

Also fortunate the Warriors were short handed

[@Grayto]

Part of that was how they managed Kawhi's load, which is part of team and personnel management. While injuries are partly lucky, part of it is intelligent use of personnel and acquiring depth to rest key players.

[@jaysonteixeria195]

Nobodies beating a healthy Warriors team but the Bucks and 76ers were probably the next best teams in the NBA. They had a harder path than most NBA winners

[@-13eNnY-]

You can't talk about LeBronto without mentioning LeBron. The reason why Demar got traded and the coach of the year was fired was because LeBron swept the first seed Raptors basically by himself. Seizing the opportunity when LeBron finally left the conference, the Raptors managed to hoist the 2019 NBA finals trophy.

[@drchef4127]

I Stil see the Raptors making the finals even if LeBron stayed in the East.

[@-13eNnY-]

@@drchef4127 That's what they all thought in 2018 before they got swept and fired the coach of the year and traded their most loyal star in years.

[@drchef4127]

@@-13eNnY- We had Demar as our star... Theres a HUGE difference between being led by Demar DeRozan and being led by Kawhi Leonard... The team was ALWAYS a good team... But Demar... The guy who we were supposed to rely on... Choked when it came to playoffs and LeBron... Kawhi didn't have that problem... And he showed this in the finals he played and beat LeBron in.

[@chadwellington2524]

no

[@frankie4467]

I'm really enjoying this new series. Keep it up

[@dannomack6783]

Kawhi did not lockup Giannis or take the job of defending Giannis upon himself, therby changing the complexion of the series. That story is not borne out by the actual games. The Raptors built their entire team defense around stopping Giannis, and anyone who actually watched the series knows that. The narrative around the Raptors championship is crazy. It's a real litmus test to tell if someone is a casual fan or not. Because definitely Kawhi hit the big shots, got the superstar calls necessary to compete, and won some big games for them by taking over the scoring, but it was not the carry job people were pretending at the time / still pretend to this day. The entire Raptors second unit were or went on to become high level NBA starters. The team was stacked beyond belief.

[@SSJRome]

2019 raptors was the deepest finals team in recent memory

[@BullyMaguire387]

Yet Kawhi fangirls always just give Kawhi credit LMAO 😆

[@varunyalamanchi7127]

So 2023 Denver Nuggets haven't been in your memory. Please go check-up with your doctor.

[@BullyMaguire387]

@@varunyalamanchi7127 2019 Raptors have so much depth tf you mean? Kawhi, Lowry, Vanvleet, Ibaka, Gasol, Danny Green, Normal Powell, Siakam 2019 Raptors are way deeper than 2023 Nuggets. 💀

[@MarkLaw13]

It wasn't. When you compare that team to the latter teams that won. Everyone been saying Raptors is the weakest to win in the last 10 seasons just ahead of GSW 2015..

[@SSJRome]

@@MarkLaw13 what are you talking about lol the raptors had at least 10 guys you had to worry about how is that weak ??

[@mellow-jello]

Have to thank the 2019 raptors for the best Finals game possible, Game 5 vs GSW. Toronto poured out of ACC, I stood next to the trees by the CN Tower, watching the big screens. 1 min left in play, and leading by six, we started to celebrate. When we lost, and went back to the Oracle, we took our revenge for the decisive W. Thanks for the memories.

[@iamlordstark]

FACT: That was not Nick Nurses idea to put Kawhi on Giannis. That was Kawhi's idea lol.

[@sportsmaster1364]

Even the depth acquired at the trade deadline came through. Marc Gasol doesn't get talked about enough, and people forget Jeremy Lin was brought aboard because of injuries to multiple point guards in the regular season, and he quietly helped us win those games to solidify a higher seed in the playoffs.

[@JustinHimberlake]

that game 6 will make me always appreciate FVV no matter how much he annoyed me last season, glad he got his bag 🙏🏽

[@elprimercuadrado414]

the 2019 raptor is the definition of let him cook

[@MNSTgrowth]

One of the best runs ever by an underdog team

[@freshfreshfreshfresh]

It definitely helped that the 2 time Finals MVP on the other team tore his tendon

[@dshiznz10]

@@freshfreshfreshfreshfr. Kawhi vs three all stars ( Steph, dray, Klay) is child’s play for him.

[@freshfreshfreshfresh]

@@dshiznz10 Disingenuous to point out Klay/Dray are allstars but leave out Lowry, Siakam, Gasol

[@dshiznz10]

@@freshfreshfreshfresh Great point. I’m just trust you considered them All stars back then before the series started too, seeing as how Siakam didn’t make his first All star until the following season and Gasol was past his prime. But hey if that’s the case let’s throw in Demarcus and Andre in as well. So let’s see , Curry, Klay, Dray, Demarcus, Iguodala .. what’s that five all stars without including KD? Yeah idk chief. Kawhi still cooked.

[@roodygarat1477]

@@dshiznz10klay kd and igudola were hurt

[@OMARA24]

Parade was epic🎉 will never forget it.

[@jameshendermusic]

legendary defense was played by the whole team. we dont' win without Kawhi, but he doesn't win without us

[@CJWolf-st1qi]

one of the best years of my life

[@BiznessBill]

Raptors were roasting the Warriors all series even with Klay playing. Klay not getting hurt would not have factored AT ALL! Sure, Durant had one good quarter coming back in the playoffs. But, the Raps swept the Warriors w/Durant playing during the season and Kawhi was even out a game.

[@jrev8089]

And...after Warriors swept Blazers in the WCF, everyone was saying they actually play better without KD and don't really need him. Then they lose, and it's because of no KD. Even though Pat Bev, Lou Will and Clippers took the FULL Warriors, with KD, to 6 games in round 1.

[@donspiff5208]

Big FACTS

[@budrick9330]

I'm pretty sure Klay who is averaging 26.0 points in that finals will surely factor at all Lol. He's having his best game with 28pts then he got injured by Danny. Still shot those FTs ending with 30pts. Raptors are great but they beat an injury riddled GSW. To be fair it felt like GSW beating Cavs without Love and Kyrie but hey it is what it is.

[@JakeDeGoat1]

Warriors fans mention KD and Klay injured but don’t want to talk about 2015 & 2017

[@tristensowell2932]

No lie Kewiah put all them boys on after taking them to the championship know they all got big paid contracts give kewhia his flowers he’s in the top 20 of all time

[@wweturkturk2002]

Man I missed this RAPTORS team they were a UNDERRATED squad every since KAWHI LEONARD left the RAPTORS haven’t been the same since then

[@nbarealtalker]

Kawhi should’ve signed a 1and1 with Toronto after that chip. He would’ve made it to another conference finals and likely another finals. And you know that’s exactly what he was thinking in 2020 at the end of game 7 in the bubble when he was sitting on the bench with that pissed off look on his face.

[@runwayedge]

Oh. My. Goodness. Oh this video I was waiting for. Bring back the memories!

[@Jbeaming1]

This is definitely one of the classic NBA finals runs

[@moneymoney3235]

Yeah they only won cause the best team had klay, Durant injured and off the court. Cavs would have 4 peated with no kd and klay Thompson

[@mhdab2416]

@@moneymoney3235injuries do happen in sports lol

[@moneymoney3235]

@@mhdab2416 never happened in the finals like it did to goldenstate or cavs in 2015. Don’t remember 2 players being out in the nba finals in the starting 5

[@SongofIceandTea]

That game 7 buzzer beater is the best buzzer beater of all time, because it's finally led to the championship wins

[@BrokeredHeart]

For a Raptors fan like myself, that season was just magic. As soon as they made the trade announcement, I thought to myself, they have a real shot at winning it all this year. As the video stated, Lebron was now in the Western conference, and while the Bucks and 76ers had their All-Star lineups, this 2018-19 Raptors bench had depth too. Leonard landed on his feet with a roster that molded around him, Danny Green filled the gaping hole on defense left by the injured OG Anunoby, and the mid-season addition of Marc Gasol provided them with a rim defender and rebounder when Ibaka needed to sit out. They had the right balance of youth and veteran players, and they had a defensive-minded coach, and a front office that went aggressively after that title. It paid off in the end, even though it was against a decimated Warriors starting 5. But, by that point in the season, Lowry had his shooting hand bandaged for a sprained thumb, and Kawhi was hobbling up and down the court on sore knees. You play the best guys you have available, and it's unfortunate that KD and Klay went down the way they did in that series. They rushed Durant back too soon and cost him a full season for recovery. The one regret is that the Toronto front office didn't try to woo another star player to occupy the vacancy when Kawhi walked. After that, Danny Green left, Gasol too, and because Ibaka had a tantrum over sharing minutes with another center, he moved on as well. I had hoped they would attract Jimmy Butler up north, given his free agency that same off-season, and the relationship he has with Kyle Lowry. He would have been a perfect fit for that roster, and it's a shame that we never got to see that. Gasol was already one foot out the door after the trophy parade in Toronto, but they should have played to Ibaka's ego and offered him a contract extension too. Their time at the peak was brief, and it's led them to a familiar place in the lottery and the mind-numbing limbo of the 9-12 spots of the Eastern Conference. For a team that reliably earned playoff contention for 7 seasons in a row, it sucks to see them fall down the ranks again. But it's also why the Championship run that year was so inspiring to witness. They needed to have so many things go their way, and with a lot of talent and some luck in key moments, they brought home the biggest win for the franchise, the city, and Canada.

[@aaronphdbdnd5535]

Well said although I think losing Durant was more of a defining moment than box-and-1 like Goldsberry tries to say. But the 2019 FA class was weak. KD Kawhi Kyrie and Khris Middleton, which means one leaves two are a package and the other is almost a certain re-sign unless there was an overpay.

[@DfsGamerGuru]

only championship team in nba history to win a chip with 8 undrafted players and zero lottery picks!!!

[@judekabongo1995]

Proud of this content as a Canadian

[@Flameb0]

kawhi is going to be remembered as one of the greatest. considering how much he has been plagued by injury, his resume is nuts. a 100% healthy kawhi probably has a top 5/ goat level career.

[@ichirosuzuki2252]

Healthy Kawhi is a perennial top 5 player in the league for 6-7 years

[@markgruner5812]

What people seem to forget is that Kawhi was injured ever since that game against the Bucks where Gasol lead Kawhi to cut to the basket to dunk and Giannis was there to meet him. He got the dunk but came down wincing and hobbling. His numbers all went down after that game and that's mostly why the finals were his weakest series of the playoffs despite still winning FMVP. So sure the Warriors had injuries, so did we.

[@D95-d7y]

Kawhi - Siakam - Lowry - Gasol - Ibaka - VanVleet - Green - Powell Like the banner shows, these guys are forever legends in the city, this team had it all. Very hard to point out a weakness. Wild only 1 is left in Siakam.

[@andygold3699]

can’t believe espn had segment Raptors! about time!

[@jaykelly7617]

I’d honestly take him back if the Clippers wanna send him back

[@JustinHimberlake]

His knees are cooked now

[@tjx6250]

@@JustinHimberlake nope

[@JustinHimberlake]

@@tjx6250 yes

[@lyonsphotography]

This was great! Well done guys 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿

[@angelomanzi9272]

Can you tell me the instrumental at the beginning of this video?

[@ackupo]

Idk why so many people coming out here with this hate giving no credits like oh KD and Klay was injured. Klay was playing till injured in game 6 and Raptors were up still. Injures part of the game. Warrior amazing team but all their players had so much mileage is it a surprise? SOoo speaking of injuries would warriors have that many chips if Cleveland was healthy in 2015 when Kyrie went down? And that was just 4 years before Raptors won there's. Since we pointing fingers just wanted to point that out too.

[@Timxlav]

Klay missed game 3 too boy

[@ackupo]

@@Timxlav lol I'll give you that but Kawhi was playing with a limp the entire series when he went to the Clippers he was broken from that championship run.

[@randomname9758]

He wasn't one man team. The whole team played well and won together.

[@ywtcc]

It's the defensive depth, rather than the offensive depth, that was the most impressive part of that team. Kawhi and Marc were former DPOY, Serge was all defense, OG eventually got an all defense nod. Most of the other guys were highly respected, as well: Danny Green, Kyle Lowry, Pascal, Norm, Fred, Chris Boucher. The offense was pretty good, but not all that much better than the DeMar+Kyle led teams.

[@nathanwhyte9048]

Marc didn’t deserve it

[@ywtcc]

@@nathanwhyte9048 2019 playoffs - Embiid vs Raptors: .370 fg/.346 3p/.836 ft 33.9 mn 17.6 pt 8.7 rb 3.3 as 0.6 stl 2.0 blk Acquiring Marc worked on Embiid, just like acquiring Kawhi worked on Giannis.

[@cabby404]

@@nathanwhyte9048 I thought so too until I watched him every day on the Raptors. His stats didn't jump out at you. You had to really watch him to see how impactful he was defensively. And that was a past-his-prime Gasol.

[@Christian-eq6pq]

@@ywtccHes talking about the DPOY Marc got

[@chadwellington2524]

top 3 defensive team of all time

[@fadedv145]

the beat at 1:21 once casey start talking is crazyyyyy

[@STKPYL]

Leonard & Siakim: 2nd highest scoring duo in playoff history. Lowry, Leonard & Siakim: Highest scoring trio in playoff history. Insanely deep bench, great chemistry. This team was just firing on all cylinders that year. FVV even said he believes if Kawhi stayed, they would have gotten back-to-back chips. Looking at the Eastern conference that year, it’s hard to argue.

[@faust5398]

We didn’t have cj miles at the same time as gasol he was part of the trade but pretty accurate

[@Stars624]

Casey still mad he got fire and Raptors won the championship without him lol.

[@r.j2023]

YALL FORGOT ONE MORE. 1ST TEAM TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP WITH ALL NON-LOTTERY PLAYERS IN NBA HISTORY

[@PeanutButterAndJellyBros]

and then after this season, kawhi got married with load management.

[@jthehoopgod9152]

He load managed that year too

[@PeanutButterAndJellyBros]

@@jthehoopgod9152 true true true true

[@MrEvoked]

Thanks for making this - raptors fan

[@fifthbusiness1678]

Of course Kawhi put this team over the top. But Ironically, the Raptors don’t win this championship without one Pascal Siakam - the guy no one in Toronto now thinks you can win a championship with. He was key.

[@mikegrant826]

You can't win with him as the #1 option unfortunately. Without Kawhi, he gets way more attention. He's good but he's not great, so it would be a mistake to think you can win with him as the main guy.

[@rulz2663]

Siakam was a role player during the championship… he’s never done anything as option 1

[@fifthbusiness1678]

@@rulz2663LOL. He was the #2 scorer, the #2 option.

[@ck_idgaf1680]

They won cause Klay got injured. Anybody that says anything different is just trolling and being foolish. KD getting hurt just leveled the playing field. But Klay's ruined everything. Toronto came out cooking to start but they started to slow in GM5 and GM6. If you watched it, you know that's what it was. They were going 7 gms and Klay was heating up before his injury. It sucked covid came the next season, frfr.