WARMINGTON: Veteran Sun lensman Stan Behal's pic a winner

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Turns out there were two Toronto pros who nailed the shot of a lifetime.

Toronto Raptors superstar Kawhi Leonard’s buzzer bouncer off the rim to win Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers was the stuff of legend.

And full marks to veteran Toronto Sun photographer for capturing it in what just about everybody agrees is an iconic picture for the ages.

And another classic Toronto Sun front page, too.

“An award winning shot by the great Stan Behal,” said Postmedia Chair Paul Godfrey. “A big win for the Raptors and for Stan. Well done Stan: You have always been one of the best.”

Stan is about excellence and treats every assignment in a cerebral fashion.

But he’s faced challenges, recovering from a concussion received while working at a protest last summer. A demonstrator is before courts on assault charges.

“What a shot. I love the look on everybody’s faces,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias, head of the union which  represents Sun photographers and scribes.

“Can you get Stan to sign one for me?” asked Dias.

Not the only such request.

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Stan getting that incredible picture — which shows the tension on the face of Leonard and other players as the ball bounces off the rim — is not surprising.

Stan has won three National Newspaper Awards and in 35 years at the Sun, has captured many other magical images, including the 2016 Jose Bautista bat flip on the playoff home run.

He’s got a keen eye and a quick trigger finger. But it’s the thinking and planning side that Stan also excels at.

“I put my focus on Kawhi and I took a burst of frames as he jumped up,” said Behal.

It was a split second moment in which the ball bounced four times on the basket’s rim before falling in for the two points needed for the Raptors’ 92-90 win at the buzzer.

Less than a second later, Leonard was surrounded by excited teammates who were being feverishly rewarded by the loud and boisterous full house inside the ScotiaBank Arena.

“But I thought I got it,” Behal said of the frame.

He sure did.

It’s one of the greatest sports pictures of all time, marking one of the greatest Toronto sporting feats of all time.

Newstalk1010 morning man John Moore called it a “Norman Rockwell” moment and Sun columnist Lorrie Goldstein predicted it will win Stan a fourth National Newspaper Award.

Time will tell but while Kawhi’s classic shot becomes part of NBA lore, Stan’s shot will go down in history, too.