Kawhi Leonard has no problem with one of the internet’s favorite versions of himself.
The Toronto Raptors star was asked about the unforgettable laugh from his introductory press conference in 2018, the moment that instantly went viral and became part of the “Fun Guy” persona that followed him throughout his championship season in Toronto, and beyond.
One year ago today, Kawhi Leonard became “the fun guy” and his laugh broke the internet 😄 pic.twitter.com/BkGSSroxCp
— ESPN (@espn) September 24, 2019
Leonard made it clear that he has never been bothered by the clip.
“If I can make people happy, I’ll make them happy,” Leonard said.
The laugh became one of the defining off-court moments of Leonard’s first Raptors tenure. During that introductory press conference, he was asked to describe himself and famously called himself a “fun guy” before breaking into the unusual laugh that quickly spread across social media, television shows and memes.
Years later, back in Toronto, Leonard still sees no reason to be embarrassed by it.
“Whatever brings joy to you guys, have fun with it,” he said. “I’m not embarrassed by it. I’m not going to stop laughing just because people think it’s funny.”
The “Fun Guy” Kawhi says he’s not bothered by the viral clip of his laugh 🤣 pic.twitter.com/tojRutGyUx
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 28, 2026
Leonard has spent much of his career being portrayed as quiet, serious and reserved, but those closest to him have often described a much more relaxed and humorous person away from cameras. The viral laugh simply gave fans a rare glimpse of that side of him.
It also became intertwined with one of the most memorable seasons of his career. Leonard went on to lead Toronto to the 2019 NBA championship, winning Finals MVP and delivering some of the most iconic moments in franchise history.
