Toronto Raptors' physiotherapist claims "group effort" kept Kawhi Leonard healthy in 2019

Last year, Kawhi Leonard led the Toronto Raptors to their first-ever NBA championship. The Raptors beat the Golden State Warriors 4-2 in a 7-game series and Leonard's game was referred to as one of the best individual postseason runs in the league. In a recent interview, the Raptors physiotherapist Amanda Joaquim spoke about how their team kept Leonard healthy during the postseason. 

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Raptors physiotherapist on keeping Kawhi Leonard healthy during the Raptors 2019 Championship run

While talking about the Kawhi Leonard's widely scrutinized health, Joaquim stated that it had been a challenge for them and made their team work "collaboratively" on it. She added that it took a "group effort" to work on his health, but was a rewarding experience in the end. After the NBA 2019 Finals ended, Kawhi Leonard spoke about being injured during the series. As per reports, the now-LA Clippers star suffered a left knee injury in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals vs the Milwaukee Bucks during a breakaway dunk and played with tendinitis in his knee. 

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The video opened with Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri speaking about Joaquim and how she has an incredible relationship with the players. Ujiri added that in her position as a PT, their "dynamic" with the athletes is really important. Joaquim has been with the Raptors for three years now and applied for the position after a colleague recommended it. At the time, she was working in a clinic and thought the job would fit her well after she looked at all the qualifications.

Joaquim revealed that she was a little worried on whether a woman would have any place in the locker room, but decided to go ahead and apply. She added that most women maybe think there's no spot for them with a professional sports team, especially as other sports and organizations are still reluctant to hire women. 

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Last year, the Raptors made history by taking down the Warriors 114-110 in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Leonard scored 22 points, while Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry scored 26 points each. Steph Curry managed to score 22 points for his team, but was unable to pull through after a missed three-pointer with eight seconds left on the clock. In a postgame interview, Leonard admitted that he came to Toronto to make history, which he is glad he was able to do. Counting the playoffs, Kawhi Leonard played only 84 games with the Raptors. 

NBA playoffs: What happened after the Raptors 2019 Championship run?

Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri 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 Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers are favourite to win the NBA title alongside the Los Angeles Lakers. The Clippers currently have a 3-2 lead over the Denver Nuggets during the Western Conference semi-finals series, while the Raptors were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in Game 7. 

Also read | Who were the 2019 NBA champions? What happened in the 2019 NBA Finals?

(Image credits: NBA site)