Star Kawhi Leonard Makes Emotional Return to Old Team
Kawhi Leonard's recent return to the Toronto Raptors highlights a common trend of star athletes rejoining their former teams. This article explores the impactful comebacks of legends across the NBA, NFL, MLB, WNBA, and NHL, detailing their significant contributions, departures, and eventual returns to the franchises where they made their mark.
The recent acquisition of Kawhi Leonard by the Toronto Raptors, marking his return to the franchise where he achieved an unforgettable NBA championship, sets the stage for a compelling look at other prominent athletes who have made their way back to their former teams across various U.S. professional sports since 2000. Leonard, though not drafted by Toronto, led the Raptors to their first NBA title in 2019, averaging 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists during that All-Star season, and earning NBA Finals MVP honors with 28.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game against the Golden State Warriors before departing for the LA Clippers.
In the NBA, several stars have experienced notable returns. Chris Paul, after six seasons with the LA Clippers from 2011 to 2017 where the team achieved a .658 win percentage and made the playoffs each year, averaging 18.8 points, 9.8 assists, and 2.2 steals, re-signed with the franchise for his 21st NBA season in 2025. However, this second stint ended poorly with clashes with coach Tyronn Lue, leading to his trade to the Toronto Raptors and subsequent retirement. Damian Lillard, the sixth pick in the 2012 NBA draft, became a Portland Trail Blazers icon from 2012-23, winning Rookie of the Year and becoming the franchise's all-time leader in points and 3-pointers. After being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks before the 2023-24 season, where he averaged 24.6 points, 7.0 assists, and 4.6 rebounds over two seasons and suffered an Achilles injury, he was waived and finalized a three-year, $42 million contract to return to the Trail Blazers in 2025. LeBron James famously left the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010 after his first seven seasons, during which he won back-to-back MVPs and led them to their first NBA Finals in 2007. He returned in 2014 after winning two titles with the Miami Heat, fulfilling his promise by bringing Cleveland a championship in the 2016 NBA Finals. Dwyane Wade, drafted by the Miami Heat in 2003, played 13 seasons, winning a championship in 2006 (Finals MVP) and two more with the 'Big Three' in 2012 and 2013, before leaving for the Chicago Bulls in 2016 and being traded back to Miami in 2018 for his final season. Allen Iverson,