Toronto Blue Jays legend Joe Carter had some advice for recent NBA champion Kawhi Leonard: L.A. wonāt love you like Toronto will.
Carter, who was part of both the baseball clubās 1992 and 1993 World Series wins, said winning the first time meant āhaving your name enthralled in history for the rest of your entire life and thereafter.ā
Despite nearly three decades passing since he hit the pivotal home run in the 1993 win, Carter told CTVās Your Morning, āyour name can still be prominent in Canada.ā
But he said it likely wouldāve faded if heād made the play on a team in another city full of sports stars, such as Los Angeles.
āBut (thereās) something about being in Canada and bringing the first World [Series] championship outside of the U.S. in baseball to Canada,ā Carter said, adding that a similar feeling is likely washing over players on the Raptorsā squad.
The Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer said the team bringing home their first NBA championship āhas a great ring to it.ā
The Toronto Raptors recently won their first NBA championship and on Monday, the streets of the city were filled with a massive crowd of fans who turned out to cheer the teamās victory parade.
Leonard will officially become a free agent next month and heās been quite silent on whether he intends on staying with the Raptors. But Carter hopes he āmakes the right decisionā because āToronto is the place to be, baby."
āThere are so many similarities between my career and what Kawhi is going through,ā he said, explaining that, like Leonard, he too was a free agent after winning the World Series.
He could have left after the Blue Jayās first win in ā92 and signed on with a higher profile team, but ultimately chose not to. At the time, Carterās wife, children and family were living in Kansas City but he felt that āitās not always good to play where you live at.ā
āI had a dream and the Lord showed me that coming back to Toronto was what I needed to do,ā he said, adding that, āToronto has become my second home.ā
He said, āToronto was one of the best times of my entire life.ā
Since then, Carter has been a part of several philanthropic efforts, including his annual charity golf tournament, which is now in its 10th year.
The baseball star said he helped start the Joe Carter Classic Golf Tournament as way to āgive back to the community.ā Since it began, Carter estimates that $3 million has been raised for the Childrenās Aid Foundation and other charities in the Greater Toronto Area.
āIf weāre on the pedestal, why not make something great happen?ā he said. āIf we can give these kids some hope, Iām all for it.ā
