Kawhi mum on future as he celebrates title
Fresh off leading the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA title, Kawhi Leonard received the key to the city at Monday's championship parade and rally.
For now, however, the twoway star and two-time NBA Finals MVP isn't saying whether he'll use it to keep a door open or close it behind him and move on.
Leonard spent several days partying with his teammates in Las Vegas and Los Angeles after last Thursday's Game 6 clincher over Golden State, returning to Toronto in time to ride in one of five opentop double-decker buses that carried the Raptors along a crowded parade route.
A three-time AllStar and two-time NBA defensive player of the year, Leonard is expected to decline the player option on the final year of his contract and become a free agent. Toronto can offer him a five-year deal worth around $190 million, one year and some $50 million more than any other team.
Before stepping on stage Monday for a ceremony in the square outside Toronto's City Hall, Leonard said he hasn't been thinking about his future. Instead, he's trying to extend the celebratory vibe as long as possible.
“I'm enjoying this” he said. “It's not time to stress, it's still time to have some fun. I've just been enjoying my experience.”
After two months of playoff basketball, Leonard doesn't have a lot of time left to be a fun guy — free agency gets underway at 6 p.m. Eastern on June 30.
“I'm going to take the right time,” he said. “You don't need too many days to figure it out. We'll see what happens. Once that time comes, then we'll all lay the pros and cons out.”
Visibly bothered by soreness during stretches of the Eastern Conference Finals against Milwaukee, Leonard declined to say how much pain he endured en route to winning his second career title.
“We're always battling through things,” he said. “You know, knee pains, ankles, fingers. Everybody was just grinding it out.”
Injured for all but nine games in his final season with San Antonio, Leonard played 60 regular-season games for Toronto and 24 more in the postseason, upping his minutes once April arrived.
COPS SEEK 4TH PERSON IN RALLY SHOOTING
Police are looking for a fourth person and haven't recovered the gun involved in a shooting at a rally for the NBA champion Raptors that wounded four people and sent thousands fleeing, authorities said Tuesday.
Toronto Police Chief Marc Saunders said they are looking for a male who was wearing a white button down T-shirt at Monday's shooting at city hall square, less than a block from where the players and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sat on stage.
Police arrested three people who are now facing firearm charges, but the shell casings at the scene didn't match two guns seized. Shaquille Anthony Miller, 25, Abdikarim Kerow, 18, and Thaino Toussaint, 20 have been charged and made brief bail hearing appearances on Monday.
Droves of Raptors fans stampeded from the site. Those wounded by the gunshots didn't suffer life-threatening injuries.
LAWYER: DEPUTY HAS CONCUSSION AFTER ALTERCATION
A deputy suffered a concussion and is on medical leave after an altercation with the president of the Toronto Raptors as he tried to join his team on the court to celebrate their NBA championship, a lawyer said Tuesday.
The 20-year-veteran of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office also has a serious jaw injury and is considering filing a lawsuit against Raptors President Masai Ujiri, attorney David Mastagni said.
“The officer is off work, disabled and wants to go back to work,” Mastagni said. The name of the deputy has not been released.
The clash between the deputy and Ujiri happened as the deputy checked court-access credentials after the game Thursday in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors.
HORFORD TO DECLINE OPTION
A person familiar with the decision tells The Associated Press that Boston Celtics center Al Horford will decline his player option for next season and become an unrestricted free agent.
The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity Tuesday because the decision has not been announced. ESPN was first to report Horford's decision.
A five-time All-Star, the 33year-old Horford joins point guard Kyrie Irving, who also won't exercise his option to remain in Boston for the final year of his contract. Horford signed a four-year, $113 million deal in 2016.
Among the preseason favorites in the Eastern Conference before last season, the Celtics finished the regular season 4933. They were eliminated 4-1 in the conference semifinals by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Horford was one of Boston's steadiest players throughout, averaging 13.9 points and nine rebounds in the postseason.