LEONARD SHRUGS OFF ‘MVP’ ACCLAIM
Masai Ujiri didn’t mince words. With the Eastern Conference championship trophy glimmering in front of him Saturday night, the Toronto Raptors’ president told everybody exactly how he feels about forward Kawhi Leonard.
“He’s the best player in the league, and we’re happy he’s in Toronto,” Ujiri said, setting off a chorus of “MV-P” chants.
Leonard has vaulted himself back into the conversation atop the NBA’s elite with a historic postseason that has Toronto in its first-ever NBA Finals and set to host the Warriors for the series opener Thursday.
On his way to averaging 31.2 points on 50.7% shooting and 8.8 rebounds during the playoffs, Leonard has had some titanic moments. He opened the East semifinals by scoring 45 points and closed them with a Game 7 buzzer-beater, and when it came time to clinch the conference finald, he inhaled 17 rebounds.
“I don’t know how many more goods things I can say about him. He’s just so good,” Toronto head coach Nick Nurse said. “I’m seeing a level of competitive greatness out of him. He’s willing us to win. He’s willing rebounds. He’s willing shots to go in. He’s going down and locking somebody up and taking the ball from him.
“It is what is. It’s great competitive desire.”
For a man whose brief and sometimes painfully literal media sessions have gone viral, and who is known to hoard coupons for grocery shopping, all of this acclaim feels almost embarrassing for Leonard.
He appeared sheepish when Ujiri shouted “best player in the league” into a microphone during the trophy ceremony, and about an hour later, in a news conference, he simply changed the story line when reminded of the personal praise.
“I don’t really judge my game like that,” Leonard said. “I’m more of about the team aspect and seeing what my team is doing. I just want to win. I don’t care about being the best player. I want to be the best team. “I’ve always said that.” He said that during the high of earning the 2014 NBA Finals MVP for San Antonio and during the low of a quad injury limiting him to nine games in 2017-18.
He reiterated that when Ujiri risked his job to trade for Leonard in July.
“I’ve worked so hard to get to this point, with the season I had last year: just always betting on myself, knowing what I feel and what’s right for me,” Leonard said. “I ended up coming here, with a great group of guys, with a lot of talent.
“I just strive with them every day.”
Toronto had posted the best winning percentage in the Eastern Conference for the past six years, but hadn’t gotten to the NBA Finals. The regular-season success wasn’t enough for Ujiri.
He fired the NBA’s Coach of the Year (Dwane Casey) and traded the best player in franchise history (DeMar DeRozan) for Danny Green and Leonard, who was believed destined for home in Southern California after the final year of his contract.
Asked about the difference-maker in the Raptors’ previous six seasons of losing in the playoffs and 2019, Toronto point guard Kyle Lowry just giggled and looked to his right, at Leonard.
“The one thing about Kawhi, and you guys all know it: He literally stays levelheaded all the time,” Lowry said. “He never gets up. He never gets down.
“I guess he showed some emotion after Game 7 against the Sixers, but I think him and Danny brought that championship pedigree here.”
Rusty Simmons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rsimmons@ sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Rusty_SFChron