Just weeks after Kawhi Leonard got closure from the salary cap circumvention scheme from his time with the Los Angeles Clippers, the star declined answering all questions about his old team and insisted his focus is on the Toronto Raptors.
Before Leonard, whom Toronto officially acquired Sept. 14, took questions at Raptors media day, he issued a statement expressing his desire to move on.
"Hey, everyone, thanks for coming," Leonard said Monday, Sept. 28. "I’m excited to be here. I know why some of you guys came – you want to hear about the investigation – but in talking with the NBA and (National Basketball Players Association), I think the best decision is to move forward and focus on my time being a Toronto Raptor."
Although the Clippers received
steep penalties upon the conclusion of the investigation, Leonard was only fined $700,000.
Leonard, who had previously played one season for the Raptors in 2018-19 and helped deliver the franchise’s only NBA championship, agreed to a two-year, $115 million contract extension with the Raptors on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
After his one season with the Raptors, Leonard became an unrestricted free agent and opted to sign with the Clippers, where he played six seasons.
"I don’t really go back and think too about it too much about it," Leonard said when asked to reflect on his departure from the Raptors. "Cause when you think, the next year was COVID, and I kind of made my decision to go to LA based off my family. I’m a big family guy, had a lot of older people in my family that I was able to spend time with that passed away.
"And just seeing babies be born and their cousins and nieces – that was all great for me, and I can’t take that back. Those times, cherished, and being able to see family and hug them before they passed, it doesn’t make me think about the basketball aspect of it too much."
The seven-time All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP will lead Toronto alongside forward Scottie Barnes and guard RJ Barrett. Although Leonard said he didn’t want to take questions about the Clippers and the investigation, he did say he felt the Clippers "weren’t too competitive last year," as they struggled to a 42-40 record. Los Angeles qualified for the play-in game but lost to the Warriors and missed out on the playoffs.
"I need pressure," Leonard said. "I need a winning situation. I want to try to win."
Toronto, which made the postseason last year without Leonard and was eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round, should be competitive in a deep Eastern Conference.
"I already was a distraction for the past 70 days and wasn’t able to meet my teammates and do any of that minicamp stuff with them," Leonard said. "So moving forward, I just want to talk about the Toronto Raptors today. I did release a statement that you can go back to. So, yeah, like I said, I just want to focus on basketball and being a Toronto Raptor. Like I said, I’m excited to play and be in the city."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kawhi Leonard ready to move forward after Clippers saga: 'I'm excited to be here'
