At the start of the NBA season, we all believed and knew the Golden State Warriors were going to be one of the last teams standing. With LeBron in the west with the Lakers, the only uncertainty was who was going to be coming out of the east.
As of Saturday, we got our answer. A Kawhi lead Toronto Raptors picked up LeBron’s torch. Kawhi Leonard, a NBA Finals MVP, defensive player of the year, former San Antonio Spur, grabbed the torch with his claw and took off.
Kawhi is the true King of the North!
The @Raptors are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history! pic.twitter.com/K3jHaeE1mB
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 26, 2019
The Raptors made a decision last year to trade their best player, DeMar DeRozan, for the chance to improve. It was a risky investment by Raptor’s president, Masai Ujiri, to take a chance, but now it looks like he’s a hero.
But Toronto, who are they. They are the team of super fan Drake. The Toronto native has been part of major conversation about his fandom. He has been seen close enough to the court to yell directly at the opposing team.
DRAKE GIVES NICK NURSE ANOTHER SHOULDER RUB EXCEPT NOW THE RAPTORS ARE GOING TO THE NBA FINALS pic.twitter.com/yQqSWdusrB
— Faizal Khamisa (@SNFaizalKhamisa) May 26, 2019
Toronto is the 6
Drake is the 6 God
Raptors beat Bucks in 6
ILLUMINATI CONFIRMED 🤭🤭🤭 pic.twitter.com/91nbSOg75L— Hova💎|IG: @gvldendre (@GvldenDre) May 26, 2019
He has been close enough to give the Raptors head coach a shoulder rub. But isn’t this what sports and the NBA Playoffs are suppose to be about? Are you not suppose to make the game difficult for the opponent as a fan. I appreciate Drake’s fandom because it’s a change from what we have seen.
Drake was fired up on Thursday night, joining Raptors fans in Toronto to cheer on the team to a Game 5 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks.https://t.co/pV2Wz0So7l pic.twitter.com/lh8UkPfCjF
— CBC News (@CBCNews) May 24, 2019
Now that the Finals are set, what are we actually expecting to happen? The 2-time defending champion, Golden State Warriors, are on the cusp of making it a dynasty, and 4 championships in 5 years. The team with 5 All-Star players and another one on the bench. Kevin Durant might be injured for game 1, but the Warriors proved to the world that they do not need KD to win.
The Raptors are Kawhi, and possibly Kawhi only. In his only game against Golden State this year he had 37 points, 3 assist, 50% from the 3-point line, and 58.3% from the field. He had a great game. The question is, can Kawhi do it in a seven game series?
Dubs in 5. With or without KD. #TooMuchExperience
“Golden State Warriors -310, Toronto Raptors +250 – Jeff Sherman (@golfodds) May 26, 2019 | Despite those long odds, the Warriors are only favored by a single point in Game 1 on the road. Must be… https://t.co/oeqdO16WsQ
— Joel Hornedo (@JuanDeHabesha) May 27, 2019
The 2014 NBA Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard, has become one of the best players in the world. Some call him the best. He is an outstanding defender, but in these playoffs, we have seen his offensive game go to another level. Kawhi game winner over the 76ers, and his knock out offensive game against the Bucks in critical moments are stuff great players are known for. Now what would make is legend grow….. a NBA Finals Championship against the 2-time NBA Finals defending champ, Golden State Warriors.
Toronto are the second largest underdog in NBA Finals history. The odds are not in their favor, but the game isn’t won in the casino, the game is won on the court. You never know what can happen when the games are of this magnitude.