Kawhi Leonard wasted no time settling back into Toronto.
After the Raptors opened the season with a record-setting win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, Leonard spent the night at Nobu Toronto for a homecoming event in his honour. He arrived in a New Balance tracksuit and ended up reconnecting with former teammate Serge Ibaka.
Ibaka showed up to support the 35-year-old NBA superstar, and the two were photographed sharing cognac with Leonard’s agent and friend, Harrison Gaines.
Their reunion carried some history. Leonard and Ibaka were teammates on Toronto’s 2019 championship team before linking up again with the Los Angeles Clippers, where they played together for parts of two seasons between 2020 and 2022.
Leonard’s night also drew a crowd beyond his old teammate. American social media star Alix Earle, former Raptors sideline reporter Kayla Grey, Toronto Tempo star Marina Mabrey and TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey were among the guests.
One of the standout photos from the evening showed Leonard alongside Nobu Toronto co-owner and celebrity Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa, a pairing that fit the occasion perfectly.
The on-court return was just as sharp. Leonard played 23 minutes and scored 23 points in the Raptors’ win over the Bulls, a result that gave Toronto its largest margin of victory in an opening game in franchise history.
Afterward, Leonard gave fans a small glimpse of the feeling behind the moment. He said he was happy to have the chance to come back and play basketball in front of the city, and said that was what kept motivating him to make the move back.
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Serge Ibaka being in the building added another layer to the moment, since the former Raptors big man had a clear view of what Leonards return meant beyond the box score. For a team that still remembers exactly what Leonard brought during his previous run in Toronto, the sight of him back on the floor seemed to underline just how much bigger this homecoming could become. [Read more 🡒]
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Kawhi Leonard also put up 23 points, but his night came with a less efficient shooting line, finishing 5 of 17 from the field. For a Raptors team already carrying plenty of questions about how its top pieces fit together, the opener only sharpened the conversation: the talent is obvious, but the exact hierarchy and stylistic balance are still very much something to watch as the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]
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For a team in the middle of a rebuilding process, the long view still matters, and the rotation reflected that approach as young players like Noa Essengue, Jaylin Sellers and Tobe Awaka got a chance to log real minutes. The challenge now is finding out whether those reps can translate into growth quickly enough to keep the Bulls from carrying one discouraging performance into the rest of the schedule. [Read more 🡒]