Trending News I Viral News I World News I News for You -FSD News
Listen to this article
Estimated 4 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Toronto Raptors fans don’t need much help recalling where they were during the team’s championship run.
But for Sheena Lalani-Jennings, June 13, 2019 — the day the Raptors beat the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals — is especially significant.
“We were in downtown Kitchener in the square, and we had just gotten married at Guelph City Hall,” remembers Lalani-Jennings.
After tying the knot, she and her new husband managed to catch the final six minutes of the game at the downtown hotel where they were staying before joining the celebrations in the street.
“I had a white jumpsuit on. My husband had a full tuxedo on, almost,” she remembered. “It was almost like this mblockive wedding reception that we had just walked into.”
Now, as the new Toronto Raptors season begins on Wednesday, Lalani-Jennings and her husband Ross will be among the thousands of Raptors fans clutching both nostalgia and hope, in large part thanks to the return of star player Kawhi Leonard.
A ‘great shot’ for the team this season
Leonard’s last stint with the team brought Toronto its first-ever championship, spreading Raptors fever to cities across the country, packing an estimated 1 million people downtown for a victory parade and leading to countless tributes on T-shirts, murals, and tattoos.
“We’re excited to see what this season holds with Kawhi being back,” said Lalani-Jennings. “We’re just really hopeful.”
Leonard has already signed a two-year, $115-million US contract extension, wedding him to the team for the next three seasons.
Last month, he made his pre-season debut with the Raptors, drawing mblockive cheers as he helped his teammates flatten the New York Knicks.
“The Raptors have a great shot,” said Ottawa fan Trey Morgan. “[Kawhi] does what he does defensively and what he does as a teammate. He does his business.”
Trey Morgan, right, celebrates in the stands after watching Kawhi Leonard hit a four-bounce buzzer beater during Game 7 of the 2019 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals. (Submitted by Trey Morgan)
Morgan knows firsthand what Leonard is capable of, after attending Game 7 of the 2019 Eastern Conference semifinals when Leonard hit a four-bounce buzzer beater shot.
“I’m looking at the ball, it hits the rim and goes up… you could see it’s taking that weird bounce and then goes in,” he said. “The whole crowd went absolutely insane.”
‘Preaching Toronto’ while watching abroad
In Brandon, Man., Rae-Ann McLaughlin was watching the same game on TV with her husband while celebrating her birthday, holding her breath as the ball dropped into the basket.
“We couldn’t believe it,” she said. “Being a Toronto fan is a challenging thing. The teams for Toronto lose in the most epic ways, [so we didn’t] think it would actually hit,” she said.
McLaughlin has already booked tickets to travel and see a game in the spring, but is trying to keep expectations in check for the new season.
“I’m trying to stay optimistic without putting too much pressure,” she said.
Chris Pedersen, right, rocks a Raptors jersey alongside his son while travelling in the Philippines during the leadup to the Raptors championship. (Submitted by Chris Pedersen)
Chris Pedersen, who was travelling in the Philippines with his son in the leadup to the NBA finals in 2019, relished the chance to “preach Toronto” to Filipino basketball fans.
“I preached a lot about, ‘this is our year,’” said Pedersen. “There was no better satisfaction than walking around with the Raptors jersey.”
“Obviously I’m excited,” he said of the 2026 Raptors roster. “I’m a little skeptical because [Kawhi’s] older, but we’ve got some good players on the team.”
The Raptors play the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday evening in Toronto at 7:30 p.m.
fFINDSUPERDEALS
