Since the Finals MVP award was first handed out in 1969, no player to win it has opened the following season on a different team. Leonard earned the award — the second of his career — in part because Toronto’s medical and coaching staffs allowed him to play his best when it mattered most by agreeing to limit his regular-season wear and tear to 60 games. That was important to Leonard, considering his falling out in San Antonio centered on the handling of an injured quad.

Source: Los Angeles Times June 14, 2019 20:37 UTC