When Masai Ujiri went out and got Kawhi Leonard last summer, there were lots of questions marks – none bigger than his health.

Coming off a season in which he played just nine games for the San Antonio Spurs, it was a question of if – and not when – Leonard would return to full health. Now just three wins away from leading the Raptors to their first ever NBA Championship, Leonard sat down with TSN’s Rod Black to discuss feeding off the home fans, staying in the moment and his road to recovery.

“I mean you think about getting here and obviously putting yourself in this situation when you’re watching. But you know last year was just rehabbing and focusing on myself and trying to get better and that was pretty much it. Just take it day-by-day, just trying to attack each day seeing how I’m feeling, am I’m getting better or not and like I said, taking it day-by-day and now I’m here,” Leonard said.

The two-time defensive player of the year credited the Raptors’ organization and medical staff for their approach at the beginning of the season in helping him return to form.

“I still wasn’t where I needed to be with my right knee and they saw what I was feeling. Took our time, laid out the schedule, treatment days, rehab days I could do throughout the season and this is why I’m able to play now. We felt like if I played that whole season I probably wouldn’t even be playing right now.”

While he’s been playing some of the best basketball of his career, Leonard was held to 23 points on just 5-of-14 shooting in Toronto’s Game 1 win. At times during the opener, and in the Eastern Conference Final, Leonard appeared to move gingerly. Head coach Nick Nurse said Saturday he didn’t expect it to be a big deal in Game 2. Kawhi seems to agree.

“I feel like pretty much everybody is hurting,” he said. “You know some people look more than others. But it’s about possibly six games left and we’re in the Finals so you’ve just got to try to dig it out and keep going from there.”

One thing that helps him keep going? The energy from the home fans.

“I mean it was great,” Leonard said of the Game 1 crowd. “All that positive energy helps and you’re able to feel that as a player. Like I said it’s mental toughness, so right now you’ve just got to keep going and that energy helps.”

But as great as having his health and an energetic fan base behind him is, the 27-year-old reiterated the importance of continuing to fire on all cylinders as a unit.

“One player can’t do it, two players can’t do it, it’s the whole five that’s out there on the floor at that time and whoever is on the bench supporting and giving feedback. So I mean it’s a team game, team basketball and you know, I’m just enjoying the moment an just having fun,” he said.

Watch the full one-on-one interview right here.

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