Raptors’ Leonard taking it ‘day-to-day’ in Toronto
Star breaks silence on blockbuster trade that brought him to Canada
TORONTO (CP) — Mere minutes into Kawhi Leonard’s long-awaited first official appearance as a Toronto Raptor, he was deftly deflecting questions about his longterm future.
The enigmatic Leonard would rather focus on the here and now.
“I look at it as a day-to-day process,” he said. “My focus is on this year, this group that I have, and striving to get to a championship. We all want to win, and if you’re looking in the future, you’re going to trip over the present.”
Leonard addressed a jam-packed press conference Monday on the eve of training camp, the first time the two-time NBA defensive player of the year had spoken publicly since the blockbuster trade that sent DeMar DeRozan — dubbed “Mr. I Am Toronto” after he proclaimed his desire to remain a Raptor for life — to the San Antonio Spurs.
Leonard, the MVP of the NBA Finals in 2014, arrived in Toronto under a cloud of questions, specifically about whether he’ll remain a Raptor past this season.
The man of few words gave no hints. But he said all the right things about this season at least.
“I came here with an open mind. I want to do great things, so I’m going to make sure I put in a full effort on the court each and every night,” Leonard said.
The Raptors open training camp today in Burnaby. They open the preseason on Saturday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.