the 2019 nba finals was a championship series in the national basketball association (nba)'s 2018–19 season. both teams played in a "best-of-seven" series (one team has to win at least four games). this series began on may 30th and ended on june 13th, with the raptors winning 4-2. the toronto raptors won against the two-time defending champion golden state warriors. kawhi leonard was named the finals mvp for the second time in his career, after 2014. both teams had won their conference finals (the raptors play in the eastern conference and the warriors play in the western conference), meaning that they had to face off. this was the first time the raptors won an nba finals and also the first time a canadian team, and a team outside the united states overall, had won the finals.