People Think Kawhi Chose The Clippers Because Toronto Wouldn’t Leave Him Alone

Raptors fans are still mourning the departure of Kawhi Leonard and although most people have been pretty respectful of the player's choice, they can’t help but wonder, "Where did we go wrong?" The whole thing sort of seems like a bad breakup. We loved our MVP, but the feeling wasn’t as mutual as we'd hoped. Or maybe it was for a while until Toronto got super clingy. 

Sports experts are now weighing in on how Kawhi’s commitment to personal privacy may have affected his decision to ditch the 6ix. According to a report by The Spun, a leak of information appeared to be what turned Kawhi off of his second LA option, the Lakers.

Kawhi's conversations with Magic Johnson set the internet ablaze when news about their meetings first broke. Which, according to former NFL player Cris Carter, certainly didn’t help the Lakers win Kawhi’s trust.

Toronto also struggled to give the player his space. “Kawhi Watch” was all anyone wanted to talk about for weeks. Fans studied the player's every move, word and gesture for clues about his plans.

It all seemed endearing until news helicopters began following the athlete’s car and fans lurked wherever they thought the player might pop up. It's safe to say that it got downright creepy at one point.

And fans seem to agree that the city’s utter infatuation with Kawhi might’ve been too much for him to handle:

It’s hard to say what personal reasons drove Kawhi to choose the Clippers over the Raptors or Lakers. It’s entirely possible he just wanted to play on his home turf and live a quiet, low-key life. A life he might not have been able to imagine for himself or his family in Toronto.