Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Thursday 19 July 2018
Done deal: Leonard goes to Raptors, DeRozan goes to Spurs

By TIM REYNOLDS points, though was limited ized. "Sell you out quick for
AP Basketball Writer to just nine games last sea- a little bit of nothing ... ."
The Kawhi Leonard saga son because of a leg injury. DeRozan did not specifi-
in San Antonio is over. So DeRozan has been in the cally reference the trade in
is DeMar DeRozan's time in league for nine years, all that post, but his message
Toronto. of them with Toronto, and didn't exactly need trans-
An NBA summer blockbust- is a career 19.7 point-per- lation. Raptors president
er got pulled off Wednes- game scorer. Masai Ujiri has been travel-
day, with the Spurs sending DeRozan has led the Rap- ing in Africa and was not
Leonard to the Raptors as tors in scoring in each of immediately available for
part of a four-player deal the last five seasons. He comment.
that has DeRozan heading was key to Toronto winning Not only is the trade huge,
to San Antonio. The Spurs 59 games and securing the it's potentially risky for both
also got center Jakob Poeltl No. 1 seed for the Eastern teams. Leonard hasn't
and a 2019 protected first- Conference playoffs last played since January be-
round draft pick, while the season. But after getting cause of the somewhat
Raptors acquired sharp- swept in the second round mysterious right quadri-
shooter Danny Green. by Cleveland, the Raptors ceps injury — and the level
For Leonard and the Spurs, decided massive changes of severity was something
there's finally closure to a were necessary — first the that even some of his now-
relationship that seemed firing of coach of the year former teammates report-
fractured beyond repair Dwane Casey, and now edly questioned last season
and played out like a soap the trading of a perennial while San Antonio was try-
opera as the season went All-Star who once famously ing to qualify for the West-
along. But in the end, Spurs declared "I am Toronto." ern Conference playoffs.
coach Gregg Popovich — DeRozan's initial reaction The Raptors clearly aren't
insisting that looking back In this May 1, 2018, file photo, Toronto Raptors guard DeMar seemed to be one of anger worried about Leonard's
at what happened would DeRozan (10) scores over Cleveland Cavaliers guard George and frustration. status, and Popovich in-
Hill during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball playoffs
not be worth his time, and Eastern Conference semifinal, in Toronto. "Ain't no loyalty in this dicated Wednesday that
that Leonard was a good Associated Press game," DeRozan wrote in Leonard has recovered suf-
teammate throughout his an Instagram story that ap- ficiently enough to play.
tenure in San Antonio — in San Antonio, a couple wish him all the best as he peared in the wee hours of During the 2016-17 season,
simply said he hopes the of hours after the trade moves on to Toronto. I think Wednesday, around the he averaged a career-best
move works out for every- became official when the he's going to be great." time that ESPN and Yahoo 25.5 points and was third
one involved. teams got approval on the Leonard was the 2014 NBA Sports reported that the in the MVP voting. When
"Kawhi, obviously, worked terms from the NBA. "Our Finals MVP and had been trade was approaching healthy, there may be no
very hard to become the staff worked very hard to with the Spurs for seven the imminent stage, sever- better two-way player in
player he is," Popovich said help him get there. We seasons, averaging 16.3 al hours before it was final- the game.q

Dwyane Wade signs

'lifetime' deal with Li-Ning

Beijing on Wednesday. reach tens of millions of ers on an NBA court again.
Wade appeared at the dollars. He finished last season with
event with the company's Wade's relationship with the Miami Heat and there
CEO and namesake Li Li-Ning began in 2012, af- have been talks between
Ning, who is still revered in ter he previously was an him and the team about a
China for his gymnastics endorser for Converse and return, but no decision has
success. Jordan Brand. In addition been made.
"This was something I need- to the continued produc- "When I get back from
ed to do from the stand- tion of basketball and China, I'll focus on that,"
point of building some- lifestyle apparel, the new Wade said. "Right now, I'm
thing," Wade told The As- deal calls for Wade to take focused on the game after
sociated Press in a phone "a greater role" in youth basketball. Whatever hap-
In this Feb. 9, 2018, file photo, Miami Heat guard Dwyane
Wade talks with the media after NBA basketball practice at the interview from China. developmental camps pens in basketball, it hap-
AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami. "That's what I set out to do. and basketball clinics in pens. I've done everything
Associated Press This word we all talk about, China and other parts of that I can to this point to
legacy, I tried to set out to the world over the coming put myself that I'm in this
By TIM REYNOLDS signed a lifetime contract build a legacy for myself years. position I am today, where
MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane with the brand, which he and my family. And after "Both sides see the ben- I can do something that
Wade has a new contract has represented since six years of that, it's cool to efits of it," Wade said. "We hasn't been done globally
— with his shoe company. 2012. The finalizing of that be here today." see the opportunity to do yet. The basketball will take
Wade and the Chinese deal coincided with Wade Financial details of the con- something special." care of itself. I'll sit down
apparel company Li-Ning and the company reveal- tract were not revealed, The question remains and figure that out once I
announced that the three- ing his latest shoe, the "Way though it's believed the whether Wade will be get back from this tour at
time NBA champion has of Wade 7," at an event in total value to Wade could wearing his newest sneak- some point."q