Today's entry doesn't chronicle the continued best moments in sports in a literal sense, as it only comes bearing a single entry to its name. However, that single entry is one of the greatest in my lifetime, threatening to topple Sid or Joe for the top slot of all.
Joe gamely fends off his position with a baseball bat, but recency bias helps to push this entry higher and higher. Surely by now, you know what I'm talking about, right?
If not, allow me to elucidate the matter...
#9: The Toronto fucking Raptors are NBA fucking Champions
Oh for fuck's sake. It finally happened.
I have made many efforts to preserve this championship in my written history, but I may never get over this rare, special feeling that resonates within me.
As I mentioned in the last entry more than six years ago, most of my "favourite moments" were attained with the power of hindsight. The Jays' championships. Vince's dunk contest. Sid's golden goal. All of them, I had to enjoy via replay, although at least the golden goal was something I was able to appreciate at the time.
But now, the first team I ever considered myself a fan of was crowned champion, and I got to see the whole thing. Yes, I became a Raptors fan in the mid-90s because Jurassic Park had recently made their chosen mascot my favourite dinosaur. Yes, I didn't really pay them any serious mind until shortly after the Chris Bosh era had ended.
But since then, I've been stuck to them like glue.
I came onboard as a Tennessee Titans fan right as their peak was ending, and a few seasons later, their entire core was dismantled. With the Raptors, however, I came during one of their many lulls. Jamaal Magloire was my favourite player, just because he was Canadian. Rudy Gay was their best player, just because he got the ball most of the time. We dreamt of the playoffs, just because it was as far as we could ever hope to go.
Then, some stuff happened. DeMar DeRozan became an All-Star, Masai Ujiri somehow shed the biggest malcontents on the roster while still getting superior value back in return, and Kyle Lowry Kyle fucking Lowry'd.
The Raptors may never again sniff a title, for as much as I know. It took years of tinkering with a winning formula, staving off a rebuild that most would have considered necessary, and then leaping on an impossibly fortuitous — albeit potentially fatal — opportunity in the shape of Kawhi Leonard.
Kawhi's tenure in Toronto will forever be shrouded in mystery. Reportedly, he had no intention of playing in Toronto, yet he just came in and did his thing without incident. The Raptors managed his workload admirably, applying him as a significant yet measured element of their success. Partly, because the NBA is a top-heavy league and they knew he wasn't required in the doldrums of the regular season. But partly, because he had something that his predecessors lacked: a killer instinct in the playoffs, where we would see the full extent of his might.
Look, I don't understand the dude. His departure for the Clippers at the height of the Raptors' dominance could have potentially cost us more titles down the track. But it's in line with his perceived desires to move to California, and ultimately, isn't his the most impeccable service we could have asked for?
Say the rumours were true, and Kawhi never wanted to play in Toronto. For him to come in, blow the doors off the NBA, and lead us to a championship we never could have ever hoped for, before tipping his hat and moving onto his intended destination, is everything and more we asked of him.
Basically, Kawhi Leonard gave us a one-night stand. But it was the best fucking one-night stand ever, and he impregnated us with a Larry O'Brien trophy. I don't care how obtuse that analogy is, I'm sticking with it.
Of course, he didn't do it alone. Pascal Siakam became a legitimate superstar before our eyes. Fred Van Vleet made an inspiring journey from undrafted afterthought to a crucial part of a championship rotation. Serge Ibaka's seven years of suffering after his Thunder failed to capture the crown finally came to an end. Marc Gasol became the physical embodiment of the Toronto faithful, as a big, goofy manchild giddily celebrating his long-awaited victory, grinning from ear to ear.
Sure, the moments that brought us here were more memorable than the ones that sealed the deal. Whether it was Kawhi's pinball-like game winner against the Sixers, or the team dragging themselves out of an 0-2 hole to Giannis' Bucks, we were frequently down and out in the playoffs.
Once the Finals came and went, the narrative turned to fairly shonky and mediocre, with the excellent basketball played by the Raptors and the Warriors offset by countless narratives triggered by a myriad of Golden State injuries.
But who cares, dude?
We're the latest version of the '04 Pistons or the '11 Mavericks. We weren't supposed to beat the dynastic opponents we were pitted against, but somehow, we had just enough stuff to topple Steph Curry, just as Kobe and LeBron had been toppled before.
We have our title. It is very much our title, and it has been the highlight of an otherwise dismal year for me. It stands like a beacon in the stormy night, steadfast and true, holding fast against all other turmoil that swirls around it. Thank you, Kawhi Leonard. Thank you, Nick Nurse. And thank you most of all, Kyle Lowry, for you have cemented your status as the greatest Toronto Raptor of all time.
Your heart may belong to North Philly, but you're a Toronto guy, Kyle. Now and forever.
I have made many efforts to preserve this championship in my written history, but I may never get over this rare, special feeling that resonates within me.
As I mentioned in the last entry more than six years ago, most of my "favourite moments" were attained with the power of hindsight. The Jays' championships. Vince's dunk contest. Sid's golden goal. All of them, I had to enjoy via replay, although at least the golden goal was something I was able to appreciate at the time.
But now, the first team I ever considered myself a fan of was crowned champion, and I got to see the whole thing. Yes, I became a Raptors fan in the mid-90s because Jurassic Park had recently made their chosen mascot my favourite dinosaur. Yes, I didn't really pay them any serious mind until shortly after the Chris Bosh era had ended.
But since then, I've been stuck to them like glue.
I came onboard as a Tennessee Titans fan right as their peak was ending, and a few seasons later, their entire core was dismantled. With the Raptors, however, I came during one of their many lulls. Jamaal Magloire was my favourite player, just because he was Canadian. Rudy Gay was their best player, just because he got the ball most of the time. We dreamt of the playoffs, just because it was as far as we could ever hope to go.
Then, some stuff happened. DeMar DeRozan became an All-Star, Masai Ujiri somehow shed the biggest malcontents on the roster while still getting superior value back in return, and Kyle Lowry Kyle fucking Lowry'd.
The Raptors may never again sniff a title, for as much as I know. It took years of tinkering with a winning formula, staving off a rebuild that most would have considered necessary, and then leaping on an impossibly fortuitous — albeit potentially fatal — opportunity in the shape of Kawhi Leonard.
Kawhi's tenure in Toronto will forever be shrouded in mystery. Reportedly, he had no intention of playing in Toronto, yet he just came in and did his thing without incident. The Raptors managed his workload admirably, applying him as a significant yet measured element of their success. Partly, because the NBA is a top-heavy league and they knew he wasn't required in the doldrums of the regular season. But partly, because he had something that his predecessors lacked: a killer instinct in the playoffs, where we would see the full extent of his might.
Look, I don't understand the dude. His departure for the Clippers at the height of the Raptors' dominance could have potentially cost us more titles down the track. But it's in line with his perceived desires to move to California, and ultimately, isn't his the most impeccable service we could have asked for?
Say the rumours were true, and Kawhi never wanted to play in Toronto. For him to come in, blow the doors off the NBA, and lead us to a championship we never could have ever hoped for, before tipping his hat and moving onto his intended destination, is everything and more we asked of him.
Basically, Kawhi Leonard gave us a one-night stand. But it was the best fucking one-night stand ever, and he impregnated us with a Larry O'Brien trophy. I don't care how obtuse that analogy is, I'm sticking with it.
Of course, he didn't do it alone. Pascal Siakam became a legitimate superstar before our eyes. Fred Van Vleet made an inspiring journey from undrafted afterthought to a crucial part of a championship rotation. Serge Ibaka's seven years of suffering after his Thunder failed to capture the crown finally came to an end. Marc Gasol became the physical embodiment of the Toronto faithful, as a big, goofy manchild giddily celebrating his long-awaited victory, grinning from ear to ear.
Sure, the moments that brought us here were more memorable than the ones that sealed the deal. Whether it was Kawhi's pinball-like game winner against the Sixers, or the team dragging themselves out of an 0-2 hole to Giannis' Bucks, we were frequently down and out in the playoffs.
Once the Finals came and went, the narrative turned to fairly shonky and mediocre, with the excellent basketball played by the Raptors and the Warriors offset by countless narratives triggered by a myriad of Golden State injuries.
But who cares, dude?
We're the latest version of the '04 Pistons or the '11 Mavericks. We weren't supposed to beat the dynastic opponents we were pitted against, but somehow, we had just enough stuff to topple Steph Curry, just as Kobe and LeBron had been toppled before.
We have our title. It is very much our title, and it has been the highlight of an otherwise dismal year for me. It stands like a beacon in the stormy night, steadfast and true, holding fast against all other turmoil that swirls around it. Thank you, Kawhi Leonard. Thank you, Nick Nurse. And thank you most of all, Kyle Lowry, for you have cemented your status as the greatest Toronto Raptor of all time.
Your heart may belong to North Philly, but you're a Toronto guy, Kyle. Now and forever.
