“If Kawhi Leonard Stayed? Three-Peat!”: Fred VanVleet is Sure of Raptors Winning Multiple Championships Had ‘The Klaw’ Stuck Around

Kawhi Leonard getting traded from the San Antonio Spurs to the Toronto Raptors in 2018 was one of the biggest transfers of the previous decade. Although the tension between the 2014 FMVP and Gregg Popovic was quite public by that time, it was still a shock.

Very few would have thought that Pop and the Spurs management would actually move ‘The Klaw’ and Danny Green for DeMar DeRozan, Jacob Poeltl, and a protected 1st round pick for the 2018 Draft.

But, as soon as it happened, the players in the Raptors franchise were supposedly sure of winning it all that very year. Not only did they really win the championship that year, they believe they could have done a 3-peat if Leonard stayed. Fred VanVleet says so.

Also read: “LeBron James Does Things, Neither Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant Can Do”: When Bulls and Lakers Star’s Fierce Rival Revealed His GOAT

Fred VanVleet believes the Raptors would have 3-peated if Kawhi Leonard Stayed

Former Raptors Big Man and the host of ‘How Hungry are You?’, Serge Ibaka, had his ex-teammate VanVleet on his show’s latest episode. When Ibaka asked Fred if they would repeat “if Kawhi stayed” the point guard came off flagrant.

“Three-peat. For sure,” Fred told Serge.“It was just a perfect group of individuals, and we all understood, everybody had the right mindset for the roles. I think definitely we would have won a few more.”

Fred Vanvleet says the Raptors would’ve 3-peated if Kawhi stayed: pic.twitter.com/MAXQ9CzXgx

— ‏ً (@enra6ed) November 28, 2022

The way Leonard played in the Bubble for the Clippers in the 2020 Finals, had he been with the Raptors and stayed fit, they might have doubled quite possibly. But three-peat? There was no beating the Bucks in the 2021 Finals.

How The Klaw’s career turned out after moving on from the Raptors

When a 2x NBA champ, 2x Finals MVP, 2x Defensive Player of the Year joined forces with one of the best two-way players in the league in Paul George, most thought it will create a dynasty on the other side of LA.

Three years down the line, we have not seen them even in the Conference Finals let alone the NBA Finals or a championship winner. And most of it is because of Leonard’s injuries. The man has become a problem from one of the best in the game.

Also read: Marcus Jordan Once Beat his Father Michael Jordan in “CUTTHROAT”, a 1v1 Basketball Game

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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