Toronto Raptors

The city of Toronto and fans of the Raptors know who has been buttering their bread this postseason. That would be Kawhi Leonard, and even the team's famous fans are hoping to keep him around for the long haul.

Included in that group is Indycar driver James Hinchcliffe, who has offered to put a picture of Leonard on his helmet, along with two free passes to any Indycar race in which he's competing if the Raptors superstar stays with the team this summer:  

I'm 100% serious @kawhileonard. STAY! @Raptors // #WeTheNorth https://t.co/8EmtI8UcaJ

— James Hinchcliffe (@Hinchtown) June 6, 2019

Hinchcliffe spoke to Bruce Martin of NBC Sports about keeping Leonard around, as well:

"They started this whole campaign at home about keeping Kawhi in town. There are talks he might be going somewhere. That has always been our big Achilles' heel as a team. We get these talented players, and they only stay for a couple years until they get picked up by a more established club.

"A lot of people are trying to keep Kawhi with the Raps. There are restaurants in Toronto promising free food for life. Free services here, there, wherever."

So Hinchcliffe made his own pitch to Leonard. But will such an offer intrigue the Board Man? Or will it leave him feeling bored, man?   

Much like his future destination as a prospective free agent this summer, only Leonard knows.

Golden State Warriors minority stakeholder Mark Stevens pushed Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry after he dove into the stands during Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night.

And Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James took to Instagram on Thursday to call out Stevens for his inappropriate actions:

"When you sit courtside you absolutely know what comes with being on the floor and if you don't know it's on the back on the ticket itself that states the guidelines. But he himself being a fan but more importantly PART-OWNER of the Warriors knew exactly what he was doing which was so uncalled for. He knew the rules more than just the average person sitting watching the game courtside so for that Something needs to be done ASAP! A swift action for his actions.

"Just think to yourself, what if @kyle_lowry7 would have reacted and put his hands back on him. You guys would be going CRAZY!! Calling for him to damn near be put in jail let alone being suspended for the rest of the Finals all because he was protected himself. I've been quite throughout the whole NBA playoffs watching every game (haven't missed one) but after I saw what I saw last night, took time to let it manifest into my thinking. I couldn't and wouldn't be quiet on this!"

Kyle Lowry also spoke about the incident after the game:

Kyle Lowry didn't appreciate what happened in Game 3 https://t.co/a8vXBKW6I9

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 6, 2019

The Warriors released a statement and said Stevens—who was ejected from the game after pushing Lowry—would not be in attendance for any remaining NBA Finals games:

The Warriors have released a statement about last night’s incident involving Warriors investor Mark Stevens shoving Kyle Lowry, which includes an apology from the organization and says the investigation is ongoing: pic.twitter.com/E8OQN3GPOC

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 6, 2019

James also responded to that announcement on Twitter:

Ok cool but still ain’t enough! They did exactly what they had to do. Get in front of it before anyone else and plus there’s only 4 games left(2 max in GS).

— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 6, 2019

The NBA also banned Stevens from games:

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1136709715738497024

In addition to pushing Lowry, Stevens also reportedly cursed at him and told him to "Go f--k yourself," according to Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star. Arash Madani of SportsNet reported Stevens "will be making a public apology and providing a donation to Kyle's 'Lowry Love Foundation.'"

Along with being a minority stakeholder and executive board member of the Warriors, Stevens is also the managing partner of S-Curbed Capital. He was formerly the managing partner of Sequoia Capital.

James wasn't alone in condemning Stevens:

"Mark Stevens should never, ever be allowed to have a courtside seat again and if I was Adam Silver, I'd take him out of the ownership circle. I'd get him out of there, have him bought out... Get him out of the arena forever." — @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/OtQNeBB8Fn

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) June 6, 2019

Mark Stevens should give up his stake in the team and be banned from NBA games https://t.co/nIuMnPOoRN

— Andrew Joseph (@AndyJ0seph) June 6, 2019

If a fan had done this, they would be banned for life. Don’t start with me with “Drake kinda did that once.” Not even close to this situation. #MarkStevens, you’re only a minority owner anyway. Marky, calm down gurrrl. Big penalty🙄. Please, are there one or two games left? https://t.co/khTZVtUsbt

— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) June 6, 2019

The Raptors defeated the Warriors 123-109 on Wednesday night, taking a 2-1 lead in the series.   

A powerful and boisterous Toronto Raptors contingent took over Oracle Arena and sang "O Canada" after the Raps beat the host Golden State Warriors 123-109 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday:

Canada has taken over Oracle 🇨🇦

(via @tsnjamesduthie)pic.twitter.com/SQS6Q2AmO8

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 6, 2019

Raps fans have created a remarkable scene in their own city, most notably in Scotiabank Arena and Maple Leaf Square, otherwise known as Jurassic Park. They've clearly migrated west, however, and let everyone left in the building know about it post-victory.

The difference in Toronto's fandom is that an entire country stands behind the team. Also, if the Raps win, Canada would have its first championship in the MLB, NBA or NHL since the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1993 World Series.

Canada is clearly on Toronto's side, but the United States is as well, minus three states, per BetOnline:

Pretty much all of America is rooting for a Canadian team to beat the Warriors in the NBA Finals https://t.co/hrUxywuRyL pic.twitter.com/i60pExiJfh

— SFGATE (@SFGate) May 28, 2019

However, Oracle Arena may very well get back to its usually scheduled programming for Game 4 on Friday, featuring Warriors wins and deafening crowds. Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson could be making returns from a strained right calf and a hamstring injury, respectively.

Durant told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated that he'll "know more in the morning" when asked about his status.

Thompson didn't play Wednesday, but he was active, leading to the possibility that he could be good to go in 48 hours.

Game 4 tips off at 9 p.m. ET Friday.

Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry was shoved by a fan sitting courtside at Oracle Arena early in the fourth quarter during Game 3 of the 2019 NBA Finals on Wednesday night.

As he attempted to save a rebound from going out of bounds, Lowry crashed hard into the first few rows of fans while jumping into the crowd. While one fan helped Lowry up and gave him a pat on the back following the strong effort, another fan gave him a shove:

According to Sportsnet's Tim Micallef, the fan was escorted away from his seat.

Lowry finished the game with 23 points, nine assists and four rebounds. Toronto took a 2-1 lead in the series with a 123-109 victory.

Kawhi Leonard has been dealing with a knee injury during the postseason, but it apparently won't prevent him from continuing to suit up in the NBA Finals:

https://twitter.com/melissarohlin/status/1136009973455106048

"I'm 100 percent when I'm on the floor," the Toronto Raptors star added Tuesday, per NBA reporter Melissa Rohlin. "No excuses."

Leonard is averaging 30.9 points per game during the playoffs, including 28.5 points per game against the Golden State Warriors through the first two games of the Finals.

While Leonard has been playing through pain this postseason, he hasn't always done so.

The 27-year-old appeared in only nine games last season with the San Antonio Spurs because of a quad injury. He also missed the Spurs' entire first-round series against the Warriors in 2018 before San Antonio traded him to Toronto in the offseason. An ankle injury also cost him playing time in the Western Conference Finals against Golden State in 2017.

Toronto tried to keep Leonard fresh for the playoffs by managing his workload throughout the regular season, but he still appears to be limited at times.

According to Joe Vardon and Sam Amick of The Athletic, his current injury "stems from overcompensating for his injured right quad suffered last season."

However, the stakes are high in the Finals, and Leonard apparently will do whatever he can to help the Raptors take home their first championship in franchise history.

Kawhi Leonard is currently embroiled in two battles: one with the Golden State Warriors for a title and another with Nike over his "Klaw" logo. 

Leonard told reporters Tuesday that his focus is focused on the former. 

"It happened a long time ago. You guys are just finding out about it. It's not a big worry of mine," Leonard said of the lawsuit. 

Leonard filed a lawsuit Monday in order to obtain control of the logo, which he says he drew himself. Nike then copyrighted the logo, allegedly without Leonard's consent. Leonard has since left Nike for New Balance.

"In 2011, just after being drafted to the National Basketball Association, Kawhi Leonard authored a unique logo that included elements that were meaningful and unique to him," the lawsuit reads, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. "Leonard traced his notably large hand, and, inside the hand, drew stylized versions of his initials 'KL' and the number that he had worn for much of his career, '2.' The drawing Leonard authored was an extension and continuation of drawings he had been creating since early in his college career.

"Several years later, as part of an endorsement deal with Nike, Leonard allowed Nike to use on certain merchandise the logo he created while Leonard continued to use the logo on non-Nike goods. Unbeknownst to Leonard and without his consent, Nike filed an application for copyright registration of his logo and falsely represented in the application that Nike had authored the logo."

Marc Stein of the New York Times reported the Los Angeles Clippers previously looked into acquiring the logo from Nike to give to Leonard as part of their free-agent pitch.

It seems Leonard has gone the more direct route.

Of course, none of this will be handled by Leonard. He has legal representation to handle these matters for a reason. As Leonard says, this lawsuit has been a long time in the making; the matter of a filing date is ultimately irrelevant. Leonard's team knew he was going to sue Nike, and the company had probably been prepared for this for a long time as well.

With that in mind and the suit unlikely to reach a courtroom until well after the season has ended, Leonard seems unlikely to let this get in the way of his pursuit of the Raptors' first NBA title. 

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Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard has filed suit against Nike regarding the use of his "Klaw" signature logo with the company, according to Portland Business Journal's Matthew Kish. 

In the suit, Leonard says he helped design the logo and that Nike filed for a formal copyright without first receiving his consent.

Huffington Post's Sam Levine obtained a copy of Leonard's lawsuit.

"Leonard traced his notably large hand, and, inside the hand, drew stylized versions of his initials 'KL' and the number that he had worn for much of his career, '2,'" his lawyers wrote. "The drawing Leonard authored was an extension and continuation of drawings he had been creating since early in his college career."

Leonard's representatives argue Nike "falsely represented" in its copyright application that the company had created the "Klaw" logo.

Leonard was under the Jordan Brand umbrella for the entirety of his NBA career until the brand declined to continue negotiations over a new contract in 2018. 

The three-time All-Star signed with New Balance last November, with ESPN.com's Nick DePaula reporting the deal was likely worth "significantly more than" $5 million annually.

In addition to this new legal drama, the "Klaw" logo could be a focus for one of the biggest free-agent pursuits of the summer.

The New York Times' Marc Stein reported May 29 the Los Angeles Clippers "are said to have quietly looked into the feasibility" of purchasing the rights to use the design. The Clippers would then use that as a selling point during a meeting with Leonard this offseason, assuming he opts out of his contract with the Raptors.

There is a lot of speculation about where Kawhi Leonard will end up next season, but his latest actions could indicate he will stay with the Toronto Raptors. 

"We have heard he's purchased a property in Toronto," Michael Landsberg of Toronto 1050 said (h/t Andrew Holleran of The Spun). "We've heard this now from two different sources, indicating there's something there."

Leonard will hit free agency this offseason if he declines his $21.3 million player option as expected.

The three-time All-Star is in his first season with Toronto after being traded from the San Antonio Spurs but has led the squad to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

After averaging 26.6 points per game during the regular season, he has taken his game to the next level with 30.9 points per game in the playoffs. Though some believe the Raptors should just enjoy this run before he leaves, he has shown a growing comfort with the organization and the city.

"We only played (at Toronto) once a year. Now I'm here for 41 games during regular season," Leonard said before the NBA Finals, per Reid Forgrave of CBS Sports. "You get to live in the city. You get to see...how much support is in the city...how excited they are for the game."

His success on the court, his positive comments for Toronto and now the possibility that he has purchased property all could add up to an extended tenure with the Raptors.

On the other hand, Leonard has been quiet about his future and should have a lot of options in free agency. ESPN's Ramona Shelburne said on ESPNLA 710 that she believes the forward will end up in California next year:

"If the Raptors win, it'll be pretty hard for Kawhi to leave, but I still think he does.... I just think the guy has been pretty clear. He wants to be back home in California." @ramonashelburne to @SedanoESPN & @iamBenLyons on ESPNLA 710 📻 https://t.co/Wda75J3NBi pic.twitter.com/C2kPBmM3a0

— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) May 31, 2019

The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers are possible destinations for the free agent.

Even if he did buy property in Canada, there are still no guarantees he will remain with his current team going forward.

Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard is less than 100 percent due to a left knee injury, which is reportedly a lingering effect of last year's season-long issues.

According to Joe Vardon and Sam Amick of The Athletic, "Leonard's knee issue stems from overcompensating for his injured right quad suffered last season."

Vardon added that his quad is now "fine," but his knee has caused the forward to be "laboring at times."

Leonard's quad injury was a major story in the NBA last season as the superstar was held to just nine games. Disagreements between him and the San Antonio Spurs doctors led to a rift within the organization and eventually his trade to Toronto.

His uncle, Dennis Robertson, explained the problems with the Spurs last season.

"I think it just became a lack of trust," Robertson recently told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. "They didn't believe Kawhi couldn't play and that caused a lack of trust in us and then us not believing in them. Any time a player says he's not capable of playing, you should believe him."

The Raptors were much more patient with Leonard this season, sitting him out for 22 regular-season games to keep him fresh for the playoffs. However, it now appears last year's problems have carried over in a different way.

Leonard hasn't missed a game this postseason, but teammate Danny Green admitted before the NBA Finals that Leonard is dealing with a knee injury, via Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports.

Considering he is averaging 30.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game during the playoffs even with the injury, it's scary to think of what he would be doing at full strength.