Who were the 2019 NBA champions? What happened in the 2019 NBA Finals?

On June 13, 2019, in what was probably the best individual postseason run, Kawhi Leonard led the Toronto Raptors to their first championship in NBA history. Leonard sat out 22 regular-season games with the Raptors, coming back to play the playoffs, win Raptors their championship and win NBA Finals MVP. The Raptors defeated Golden State Warriors, who had won the last two NBA titles, to bag the championship. Though Leonard signed with the LA Clippers months later, Toronto welcomed him back with open arms.

Also read | Drake shows off his 2019 NBA Finals Championship ring gifted by the Toronto Raptors

Who were the 2019 NBA champions? The Toronto Raptors 2019 NBA playoffs 

Also read | Kawhi Leonard's championship ring has a middle finger emoji engraved on it; see pic

Who were the 2019 NBA champions? Warriors 2019 NBA playoffs highlights

Also read | NBA suspension could cause league whopping $1 billion loss in revenues: Report

Who were the 2019 NBA champions? 2019 conference finals

Who were the 2019 NBA champions? Toronto Raptors defeat Warriors in 6 games

The Raptors made history last year as they took down Warriors 114-110 in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Leonard scored 22 points for the Raptors, while Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry scored 26 points each. Steph Curry managed to score 22 points for the Warriors but was unable to pull his team through after missing a clutch three with eight seconds left on the clock. The Warriors then called an excessive timeout, giving the Raptors two free throws to seal their victory. In a postgame interview, Leonard admitted that he came to Toronto to make history, which he is glad he was able to do. 

Who were the 2019 NBA champions? Kawhi Leonard led the Toronto Raptors to a 4-3 victory vs Warriors 

Counting the playoffs, Kawhi Leonard played only 84 games with the Raptors. Masai Ujiri, Raptor's president, traded their beloved star DeMar DeRozan to Spurs for Kawhi Leonard with only one year left on his contract. Ujiri's gamble paid off, even though Leonard left for Clippers as soon as the championship was won. With the Clippers, Leonard was averaging at 26.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5 assists before the NBA 2019-20 season was suspended on March 11. As the coronavirus continues to be a threat, the NBA season might not return before June 2020.

Also read | NBA players might not get paid beyond April 1 during ongoing suspension: Report