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Kawhi Leonard: Toronto Raptors Should Look For Next Superstar Outside the United States





In our article entitled "Kawhi Leonard: How Birthplace, Economics Works Against Superstar Staying With Raptors" we had predicted that Mr Leonard would very much likely head back to the States and to Los Angeles after an NBA Championship.  If Mr Leonard was already playing for a U.S. team, his trip back to L.A. would arguably be unlikely.  But, for a black American superstar player like Mr Leonard, leaving Canada and going back to the States and preferably to L.A. was a "no-brainer".

Raptors management and fans alike are grateful for Mr Leonard for having chosen Toronto as a "vacation destination" on his way to a much celebrated NBA championship.  But when the Raptors look for a potential replacement for Mr Leonard they ought to look for one either in Canada or a player abroad who loves Canada over the United States and furthermore would love the chance to move his family to Canada.

NBA championships are driven by a superstar player more so than in football or baseball.  If the Raptors ever seek to defend their NBA title they will definitely need to hope they can find a "walk-in" player that has flown under the radar of other NBA teams that the Raptors can invite to a training camp in Toronto.

Kawhi Leonard is moving back for the States for the same reasons that former black American Raptors superstar players like Vince Carter and Damon Stoudamire sought to leave.  And, if the Raptors seek to avoid history repeating itself, they need to start looking within Canada or abroad to a possible Olympian from a national team and who seeks to make Canada their home.

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