TORONTO — Raptors president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster speed-walked through the maze of back hallways inside Scotiabank Arena.
The Raptors had just won the Eastern Conference finals, and Ujiri had just told fans in the arena and watching on TV the Raptors weren’t finished yet. They were ready for the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
The handshakes and hugs were plenty. Ujiri and Webster had one more stop — to visit fans who watched the game on a videoboard outside the arena in Maple Leaf Square, nicknamed Jurassic Park.
It was the same spot Ujiri once fired up Toronto fans with his "(expletive) Brooklyn" proclamation before the 2014 playoffs. On this night, the fans stood in the rain and chilly May temperatures to watch the Raptors advance to the Finals for the first time in franchise history.
They had weathered so much more since the NBA expanded into Canada in 1995. Frustration. Disappointment. Inferiority. Resignation.
SportsPulse: Yes, Kevin Durant has been an instrumental part in the Warriors last two titles. No, he was never needed for the Warriors dynasty to become a dynasty.
USA TODAY
'It's Vince Carter 2.0'
Basketball has made major inroads into the sporting culture, and the Raptors have played a significant role.
The 2017 documentary The Carter Effect detailed Vince Carter’s impact on basketball in Canada.
There are other factors. Canada Basketball has grown, a grassroots development program, opened the door to thousands of kids and the rise of top young talent, such as Andrew Wiggins, Jamal Murray, Tristan Thompson and R.J. Barrett, one of the top prospects in this year's NBA draft.
Raptors TV analyst and former pro basketball player Leo Rautins, 59, recalled how difficult it was to find a hoop in a driveway when he grew up in Toronto. By the late 1990s, Rautins noticed the change as the plane he was on descended into Toronto’s Pearson International Airport and he saw all the hoops in driveways.
"This takes it to the next level," Rautins told USA TODAY Sports. "I heard an interesting expression the other day. It’s Vince Carter 2.0. Everything that has happened up to this point has been phenomenal for the city, for the game of basketball in the country and the growth of this franchise. It changes the perception of the franchise, and it launches the game to the next level in Canada."
Immigrants from Asia, Africa and the Caribbean — people with no attachment to hockey — also have helped explain the popularity of basketball and the Raptors.
No person better exemplifies that than Raptors superfan Nav Bhatia, who came to Canada from India. His story was detailed in a heartwarming Twitter thread by journalist Muhammad Lila. Bhatia arrived in Canada with an engineering degree but couldn’t find a job in his field so he started selling cars. He was great at his job. He became manager of the dealership and, eventually, an owner of car dealerships.
Bhatia, 67, has attended every Raptors home game in the franchise’s history. His profile is significant with his baseline seat in the front row.
"It finally happened," Bhatia told USA TODAY Sports, "and for the last two days, I’ve believed I’m dreaming. Even people who usually just talk hockey are talking Raptors. It’s going to be exciting."
Follow Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt.
Source: Read Full Article