1. The Toronto Raptors bring home a title
Toronto’s acquisition of Kawhi Leonard was as close to going all-in on a single season as any team had ever gone before.
There was no assurance beyond the 2018-19 season, but Leonard’s talents afforded the chance to make it all worth it in a way the Raptors franchise had never experienced.
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Where did the Raptors land?
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The Raptors would get to the NBA Finals, thanks to the stellar play of Kawhi and Kyle Lowry, the breakout of Pascal Siakam and the deadline addition of Marc Gasol. Waiting for them was a Golden State Warriors team that, even without Kevin Durant, was hungry for a third straight title and with the talent to get there.
Did injuries help Toronto come out on top? It’s hard to argue against the affirmative on that one. KD went down soon after he returned in Game 5 and his presence would’ve added a dimension no other team had been able to stop since he became a Warrior.
Klay Thompson missed Game 3 and went down late in Game 6, in which he had dropped 30 points in less than 32 minutes before tearing his ACL late in the third.
Here’s another question: Do you think anyone within the Raptors organization or fan base cares about those footnotes? Not in the slightest.
Basketball is a growing sport north of the border, but few ever thought it would serve as the home to the NBA champions.
Not all championships are created equally and they all vary in value. This title means everything to the Raptors and Canada as a whole, the culmination of years of hard work and shrewd decision-making and the seizing of an opportunity that couldn’t have played out any better.