Toronto Raptors: Top 5 shots in franchise history

1. Kawhi Leonard vs. Philadelphia 76ers – May 12, 2019

By now, you’ve probably seen it a 1,000 times. Leonard takes the inbounds pass from Marc Gasol, blows by Ben Simmons, leans back to avoid the outstretched hand of Joel Embiid, and bounces home the greatest shot in Toronto Raptors franchise history.

While Peterson’s shot may have been more improbable, and Anunoby’s more imperative (the Raptors were trailing against the Celtics, whereas it was tied when Leonard rose above Embiid), no shot is more significant.

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If Leonard’s shot doesn’t fall and the Raptors go on to lose the series, the trading of fan favourite DeMar DeRozan goes down as an abject failure. Toronto is still ringless. The fanbase grows restless. Masai Ujiri could have been fired.

But, although it took the long way down, Leonard’s shot fell, sending Embiid back to the dressing room in tears and the Raptors on to the conference finals. There, they’d dispatch the Milwaukee Bucks in six games, and do the same to the Golden State Warriors in the Finals to claim their first ever championship.

While Lowry and Carter are undoubtedly the two greatest Raptors ever, Leonard is the best player to ever put on the Raptors jersey. Overshadowed by The Shot are Leonard’s 39 other points that fateful night against Philly, in a cagey and defensive Game 7 where neither team wanted to make the first mistake.

And neither team did. Simmons and Embiid worked perfectly to push the ball into the hardest area of the court to score a basket from. It was just that in ’18-19, Leonard was on a mission, and nobody on the planet was going to stop him from hitting that shot.

Do you agree with the five Toronto Raptors shots on our list? Or are there any others you would have included? Let us know in the comments section below.