It’s Their Time
It’s Their Time
Up North, They Play
June 16, 2019
That Which, Must It Be Done, Should Not Be Done Now (And Not Talked About)
The Toronto Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors 114-110 in Oakland on Thursday night to capture the NBA Finals 4-2 giving Toronto, and all of Canada, its first NBA Championship.
What a fine few moments they were.
The Raptors, led by Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, were as efficient as they were gutsy, getting 26 points from Leonard in Game Six, along with 26 from Kyle Lowry, 26 from Pascal Siakim and 22 from Fred Van Vleet, a balanced attack from a team that needed all the measure and grit it could get to dethrone the two-time defending champs.
Yes, the Warriors were short-handed without Kevin Durant and then Klay Thompson, but the Raptors deserve all the praise we can possibly hoist up north of the border.
This is a team that took the greatest gamble before the season, sending its best player, DeMar DeRozan, to the San Antonio Spurs, in exchange for Leonard whose contract allows him to walk away after this season. That means in a couple of weeks.
But Raptors' General Manager Masai Ujiri's derring do is now the stuff of genius and it would have been so even if the Raptors had lost to the Warriors.
But they won.
They won, Canada sings, and the NBA has something very rare: an unexpected champion.
So let's not even mention that the Los Angeles Lakers then stole the Raptors' thunder, headlines, mojo, day in the sun and maybe their milk and cookies, too, by making a deal for New Orleans Pelicans' big man Anthony Davis who will now team up with LeBron James.
Let's not even talk about it.
These NBA playoffs were competitive, exciting and mysterious in large part because of LeBron James' absence. All NBA fans must admit they have been suffering from LeBron fatigue, his every move and thought either adding or detracting from his legacy.
Boring.
Nothing against Mr. James who is more amazing than amazing can be, but it was nice to turn down the volume for this car ride.
Now, the machine cranks it up again.
We hope they don't hear it in Canada, though. We hope the nice folks to the north only hear the cheers from the victory parade, the swoosh of the ball through the hoop on another three-pointer and the strains of Drake.
It's Toronto's time. And no one else's. --TK
Sunday, June 16, 2019