Raptors Fans Start 'Kawhi or Die' Campaign to Convince Star to Stay with Toronto

Toronto Raptors fans are getting a head start in trying to convince Kawhi Leonard to stay with their team.

A group of supporters has launched a "Kawhi or Die" website, which is aimed at keeping the former Defensive Player of the Year in Toronto when he can opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

The website's mission statement reads: 

"First and foremost, it's an opportunity for us as fans to welcome Kawhi to our beautiful city, the country of Canada, and to the basketball team we are all so passionate about.

It's also a way for us to collectively express our enthusiasm for our Raptors, the great city of Toronto, and the incredible country we live in called Canada. Or maybe you don't live in Canada and just love the Raptors or think Kawhi in Toronto is a great fit.

From a personal point of view, my goal is to highlight the incredible advantage that comes with being a megastar for Canada's only team. The largest American state that has NBA basketball is Texas, a whopping 268,000 square miles. A fantastic basketball market, to be sure, but one that is shared by 3 franchises - Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. Canada, by comparison, is 23 TIMES the size of Texas and it's all Raptors baby. Vince Carter and Steve Nash are part of our culture; the opportunity Kawhi to be the greatest basketball player to play in a country of 36.29 million (roughly 4 times the size of NYC) would make you a basketball icon without the paparazzi type atmosphere in your day to day life."

The San Antonio Spurs traded Leonard to Toronto this offseason in exchange for a package headlined by longtime Raptor DeMar DeRozan. While some (cough, DeRozan, cough) were a little upset by the deal, it's clear most fans have moved on.

Raptors supporters will hope the "Kawhi or Die" thing goes better than...umm...every other campaign for a star player to stay with his team.