From far and wide, it was quite a ride
Fever spread from chanting in the streets to partying in town squares
It happened after Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
In the minutes following the Raptors’ decisive win, as the fences surrounding Jurassic Park were pulled open by security guards, blissful fans spilled out onto Bremner Blvd.
Fans in the happy mob were hollering from the top of every surface they could clamber onto: “Let’s go Raptors!”
Some of the more exuberant in the bunch scaled a cherry picker on York St., with one woman reaching the basket. After a brief celebration, she shimmied back down to earth, with everyone shouting “MVP! MVP!” as she went. By this point, there was a full-on street party in effect.
For those who were there, it was a special moment. But then again, there have been many special moments for Toronto sports fans in recent weeks.
The Toronto Raptors captured the hearts of sports fans across the country, playing in a way that gave lifelong supporters and bandwagon-jumpers both a reason to believe the NBA’s lone Canadian team might just have what it takes to capture the championship for the first time in the franchise’s history.
Over 40 cities and towns, mainly in Ontario but also all over the country, hosted viewing parties on game days — including Almonte, the 5,000population town near Ottawa that’s the birthplace of basketball inventor James Naismith.
In Mississauga, the city rescheduled previously planned events (including a screening of the classic 1996 basketball movie Space Jam) to launch Jurassic Park West. Organizers said they wanted to create a positive space for fans in a basketballcrazy city to come together.
The 905 did not disappoint: up to 20,000 fans gathered under the square’s clock tower, lit up in red, to watch the Raptors face Golden State in the Finals.
Fans overseas woke up at odd hours to watch games, while others paid for pricey plane tickets (not to mention the game tickets) to come watch their team close up.
Even Canadian Golden State Warriors fans couldn’t help but celebrate the Raptors making it to the Finals for the first time — the Raptors’ success is still success for Toronto and Canada, they said.
Every corner of Toronto was touched by this basketball phenomenon — from businesses flying the We The North flags to individuals purchasing and proudly donning Raptors shirts and jerseys at work. Lineups of shoppers visibly increased at places that sell Raptors apparel. Depictions of Raptors logos and players, especially Kawhi Leonard, appeared on buildings in Toronto and beyond. The Royal Ontario Museum launched a contest in honour of the Raptors, offering winners a special behind-the-scenes tour of the museum’s dinosaurs section. The Aga Khan Museum, which is devoted to offering new perspectives of Islamic civilizations, projected Game 4 on its front wall. “As a communityminded space, we’re delighted to bring people together for this historic experience, 24 years in the making,” the museum said.
Over 40 cities and towns, mainly in Ontario but also all over the country, hosted viewing parties on game days