Affair at the Square: The curse of Ujiri, Part 2
Thousands of fans who showed up to watch the Raptors at Maple Leaf Square roared after Raptors GM Masai Ujiri took his turn to trash talk minutes before the team’s first playoff game.
“I know everyone wants me to say something about Paul Pierce,” said Ujiri. “But we don’t give a s--- about it.”
“It” being the factor the Washington Wizards player said the Raptors lacked in an interview published earlier this week.
Ujiri toned down expectations of a response when he first took the stage by giving a nod to NBA commissioner Adam Silver who was in town for the game — the same commissioner who fined him $25,000 for his “f--Brooklyn” comment to fans outside the ACC this time last year.
But part of the DJ set that kept the crowd hyped up for hours before game time included a Jay Z tune, suggesting that although sparring words are spoken, grudges aren’t held. Jay Z is a former minority owner of the Nets.
Christine Miller, 52, arrived at Jurassic Park at 9:30 a.m. from Mississauga with her husband and son. She has been a believer since the inception of the franchise.
“I send a message to encourage (players) every game,” she said. “They’re amazing.”
Abi Alani, 44, is visiting family from Nigeria and was ecstatic that she got to feel the buzz of playoff excitement at the square. “I am the biggest Raptors fan,” she declared.
Fans’ enthusiasm was tested in the fourth quarter when a loss looked imminent but the crowd rallied when the game went into overtime. Despite the eventual loss, many were still happy they came out.
“The energy was really high and you could tell the city was really dedicated to its team,” said 11-year-old Katya Arif, who came to the square with her parents and five-year-old brother. “It’s just Game 1 and they’re just entering the playoffs. There is always time to recuperate.”
Barry Taylor agrees that it’s still early. He returned to the square this year after coming out to see every playoff game last spring.
“To be honest, I thought it was more energized last year,” he said.
He surmised the reason might be because of the early timing of the game. Or maybe it was because of the lack of coffee.
“I would have paid the beer prices for coffee,” he said.
Taylor got there at 10 a.m. and was forced by security to chuck his coffee. That coupled with the loss left him feeling a little irate.
“It’s an overall cranky experience really,” he said.