74 reasons why Kawhi Leonard is staying with the Toronto Raptors

74. Key to the City

Mayor John Tory entrusted Kawhi with one of the most precious gifts you could ever receive – a key to the city, officially branding Kawhi as the man of Toronto. Maybe he’ll run for mayor next?

73. Customized Library Card

More like, “Board Man gets Books (and music, movies, and free WiFi).”

72. Trudeau > Trump

The honeymoon period may have worn off with most Canadians, but they’d probably still keep him over whatever the heck our neighbors to the south are dealing with.

71. Cargojet sponsorship

Kawhi Leonard just signed a sponsorship with Canadian-based airway company. He didn’t really sign a deal just for the money, right? He must truly believe in the product, right?

70. Canadian Beer > American Beer

More flavourful, better alcohol content, better designed, need we keep going on?

69. Winter is Fun – Really!

Everyone likes to bemoan how cold it gets in Toronto (or Canada), but there plenty of fun things to do during winter. From hockey (see below) to ice skating to sledding – Kawhi and his family can “warm up” to this season.

68. A Growing Tech Hub

Toronto is a city of the future and the “Silicon Valley of Canada”. The city is a long way from matching its American counterpart, but the tech industry is growing steadily. Year after year, the tech talent in Toronto burgeons.

67. Hockey!

The coolest sport on ice isn’t just fun to watch or play, but it can be a great tool to help build Kawhi and the Raptors’ brands. With basketball fever overtaking the nation, Kawhi and the Raptors will sweep into the hockey world and further grow their influence.

66. Montreal is Just Down the Road

Just a few hours drive from Toronto, Montreal offers an alternative atmosphere that Kawhi might just fall in love with. There’s nothing quite like the city in North America. And it is the partying capital of Canada…

65. The Night Life

Canadians may be stereotyped as “nice”, “sorry”, and with funny accents, but we are low-key party animals. Toronto is a top Canadian destination for the nightlife, something Kawhi’s predecessor, Vince Carter, helped establish in the city.

64. World-Class Food Scene

But before the party, Kawhi has more than a fine selection of places to eat. Toronto is renowned as one of the top cities when it comes to extraordinary cuisine. Kojin Restaurant, Alo, and the newly opened Sushi Masaki-Saito are just a few examples of dining an MVP deserves.

63. The Wonderful Attractions

Since Kawhi is a low-key kind of guy and wants to avoid the partying scene for a bit, there are plenty of other things he and his family can do. The CN Tower, Art Gallery of Ontario, and Roy Thomson Hall are just a few places worth checking out.

62. Toronto Islands

If Kawhi wants even more seclusion, he can take a nice boat ride to the Toronto Islands. Just a few minutes away from the city, the islands are a chain of 15 small islands in Lake Ontario and offer a nice view of the city along with with a little bit more privacy from the busy city life.

61. All the Festivals

From Caribana to the Toronto International Film Fest to the Summer Music Fest, Toronto showcases its international flair with renowned festivals. There is always some type of festival happening in Toronto.

60. A Creative’s Haven

Toronto is a growing tech hub and a hockey city but it’s also filled with artists. Several districts within the city showcase the colourful character of the city and its residents and it’s perfect for Kawhi’s inner artist.

59. Vibrant City with Unique Neighbourhoods

No matter what personality, there’s a place for them in Toronto. The city itself is home to a variety of areas from the bohemian recesses of the Kensington Market to the tranquil Harbourfront area, there are many truly unique places for complex souls like Kawhi.

58. One of the Safest Cities

Despite the brief but disturbing shooting incident that took place during the Raptors’ championship celebration, Toronto is ranked as the fourth-safest city in the Safe Cities Index. Los Angeles is 18th in the rankings.

57. Quality of Life

Toronto isn’t just a safe city, but also ranked as one of the top-20 best cities in terms of quality of living according to Mercer. The city ranked 16th and the second in North America behind only Vancouver (3rd). Los Angeles ranked 66th.

56. Kawhactus

Nuff said