The past 10 years in the NBA have been characterized by superteams, and the era might finally be drawing to a close at the hands of Kawhi Leonard. 

Ever since LeBron James decided to “take his talents to South Beach” on live television, the landscape of the NBA has changed. Although Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen had teamed up with Paul Pierce on the Boston Celtics a few years before that, never before had All-Stars announced their decision to team up with each other in such a way. 

A huge deal was made about the new Big 3 of the Miami Heat — LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh — and the typical NBA superstar behavior and mindset was altered until Kawhi Leonard’s success in Toronto with the Raptors and decision to move to Los Angeles to join the Clippers fixed the league’s landscape. 

On the court, superteams universally changed the layout of the league. The Big 3 of the Heat eventually led to the formation of the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty, which has taken the NBA by storm for the last five years. At the start of the playoffs last April, it seemed as if the Warriors would never slow down. If Durant re-signed in his looming free agency, as many thought he would, the NBA could realistically have continued to be dominated by the Warriors for the next few years. However, one man stood in the way of this dynasty: Leonard. 

Leonard was a relatively low-profile star coming out of San Diego State in 2011. He was quiet in interviews and showed almost no emotion on the court. Leonard was the opposite of the modern, big personality NBA superstar. Despite this persona, he proved he belonged with the best in his MVP performance in the 2014 NBA finals for the San Antonio Spurs, when he defended LeBron James with exquisite success throughout the five game series. 

Kawhi would show strong play in the following seasons and establish himself as a top player in the league before a fallout with the team resulted in his trade to the Toronto Raptors for a hefty package of players and picks led by their franchise cornerstone, DeMar DeRozan. Leonard had a phenomenal season for the Raptors, but the team was still not expected to make a serious run in the playoffs, though it ultimately won the championship. 

Kawhi and the Raptors started off the playoffs by comfortably getting past the Orlando Magic in the first round. However, the team met a true challenge in the second round in the form of the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers were full of young talent led by Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris. Beyond this fact, these players were the epitome of young stars in today’s game, with big egos and large social media presences. Leonard was able to lead a solid team that did not meet the qualifications of a superteam, boasting only two all-star caliber players, to defeat the team dubbed by many as the next superteam.

The series, in Game 7, came down to the wire after being tied 90-90 going into the last play of the game. Leonard took charge and hit the first Game 7 buzzer-beater in NBA playoffs history to propel the Raptors to the Eastern Conference Finals against the favored Milwaukee Bucks. 

The 60-win Milwaukee Bucks, led by MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, was the favorite to reach the NBA finals. No one had been able to contain Giannis so far in the playoffs, but Leonard was up for the challenge. The matchup of Leonard and Antetokounmpo would prove to be an epic battle in which Kawhi ultimately led the Raptors in scoring while defending Antetokounmpo better than anyone on the Bucks’ first two opponents.

The Raptors had stunned the world by reaching the finals, but it seemed as if it was going to meet sure defeat at the hands of the inevitable Warriors. Despite Kevin Durant missing the first few games with a calf injury, the team still had to face Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and DeMarcus Cousins. 

Kawhi dominated the first few games including a 34-point and 12-rebound performance in Game 2 followed by a 36-point and 12-rebound performance in Game 4 to put the series at 3-1 in favor of the Raptors, putting pressure on Durant to return to play in Game 5 at the Oracle. However, this return proved to be premature and resulted in a ruptured Achilles tendon for Durant. 

The Warriors did force a Game 6, but Kawhi and the Raptors simply had too much momentum and won the finals 4-2. Thompson also tore his ACL in Game 6. Leonard earned his second finals MVP, culminating a spring playoff run in which he averaged 30.1 PPG and 9.1 RPG. Injuries could have led to the deterioration of the Warriors dynasty, but Kawhi’s unrelenting play also could have dismantled the team. 

Durant’s frustration with the Warriors medical staff for advising his return in Game 5 would contribute to his departure to the Brooklyn Nets in free agency a month later. 

The NBA was completely altered in the offseason. In fact, eight of the 2019 All-Stars would change teams in July’s free agency, with the landscape of the competition shifting more than any offseason in recent memory. 

Fans are about to embark on one of the most entertaining NBA seasons in recent years Multiple teams have a legitimate shot at the NBA title, most if not all of which feature a new face who will play a key factor in the team’s success, as 2019 All-Stars who moved teams this summer included Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Paul George, Kemba Walker, D’Angelo Russell and Russell Westbrook. 

Kawhi Leonard’s run with the Raptors ended the Warriors’ reign over the league, and ultimately the superteam era, paving the way for the future landscape of the NBA in which anything is possible.