Have you caught the fever?
Or, better yet, have you hopped on the Toronto Raptors bandwagon?
The Toronto Raptors are in the NBA final for the first time in franchise history. Until a few years ago, it was a pretty sad-sack history; just one playoff series win from their inception in 1995 to 2016.
This was an organization who, up until 2015, counted an upset victory over the powerhouse Chicago Bulls in their expansion campaign among the great highlights in franchise history.
Sure, there have been some great plays, moments and players to join the Raptors. But playoff success, and prolonged regular season success of any kind, eluded them.
And for much of this millennium, it seemed like they were doomed to failure.
That is, until a few years ago. They started making the playoffs. They almost advanced to the second round in 2014.
And if it weren’t for LeBron James, this might not be their first trip to the NBA finals. King James and the Cleveland Cavaliers knocked the Raptors out of the postseason for three straight years.
When James moved to the Western Conference for the first time in his incredible career, it opened the door for the Raptors this season, and the seized the opportunity.
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri showed a lot of guts when he dealt fan favourite DeMar DeRozen to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard. Leonard’s been an all-star in the past, but he was limited to nine games last season, and there was speculation he didn’t want to come to Toronto. He’s also a free agent after this season.
Maybe he’s playing for a contract, but he certainly hasn’t played like someone who doesn’t want to be in Toronto.
And he’s the biggest reason the Raptors are in the NBA Final.
While the Raptors have always had a strong following in Toronto, it’s been meagre elsewhere. How many Raptors jerseys or ball caps have you seen in Estevan? I know of one person who had one. Basketball fans usually cheered for another team, a team that enjoyed success. A team that kept its star players.
They’ve been Canada’s only NBA team since the Vancouver Grizzlies moved to Memphis in 2001, but they haven’t been Canada’s team. They are not the basketball equivalent to the Toronto Blue Jays.
(Part of the problem might be the horrible choice for a team name. Thank Jurassic Park for that one. And then there were those jerseys in the early years with a logo that resembled Barney the Dinosaur on steroids).
Interest in the Raptors this season received a boost when all three NHL teams in the Stanley Cup playoffs bowed out in the first round. The Raptors suddenly had the national sports media spotlight to themselves. There was a level of excitement because they weren’t going to have to go through a team with LeBron James on it.
And then there was the shot. Leonard drains the game-winning shot with no time left on the clock in Game 7 of the second round against the Philadelphia 76ers. A shot that clanged off the rim four times before it dramatically swished through the net. A shot that will be on highlight reels and countdown shows for years to come. A shot that had people across the country excitedly talking about the Raptors for the first time since the early 2000s.
And after Toronto fell behind 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Final to the Milwaukee Bucks, who had the best record in the league during the regular season, Toronto stormed back to win four straight.
I don’t have the fever. I’m not on the bandwagon. I’m not going to go out of my way to watch them get pounded by the Golden State Warriors in the final.
As I stated last week, I haven’t watched a full NBA game since the Vancouver Grizzlies moved in 2001.
Sure, I’ll stop and watch a few minutes if I get a chance. But if you give me the choice between sitting on my patio with a book and an ice cold IPA, or watching the Raptors play basketball in June, I’m going to take that beer on the patio.
Back in my university days, I started to gain an interest in basketball. I even went to a game between the Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1998. The Lakers had Shaquille O’Neal and a young Kobe Bryant, although I told my pals I was more interested in seeing Canadian Rick Fox play for the Lakers.
And each year during March Madness, I’d fill out a bracket and watch some games with some buddies from university.
After the Grizzlies moved, I lost my interest.
I hope the Raptors fans, both new and old, along with the bandwagon fans, don’t have their hopes up. Golden State is seeking their third straight title and fourth in five years. They’re a star-studded team, and the NBA is a superstar-driven league.
I hope the Raptors and their fans have enjoyed this ride, but it’s one that likely won’t end well.
