This night began with a trip downtown for the game, I was hoping to get down there early and avoid the crowds. Boy did I misjudge the time and how packed it had been since morning haha? Whatever the case was, all I knew was that I would end up somewhere catching this game with whichever of my friends decided to show up. After waiting for about an hour or so in the line to get into Real Sports Bar and Grill, one of my buddies eventually showed up and found me in the line. The other could not get down from work in time, hardworking dude lol. Another one of my buddies seen me in the line and was headed inside Scotiabank Arena being one of the lucky/rich ones to get a ticket/seat inside. My other buddies were already inside Real Sports Bar (one of the hottest bars in town) from what I have heard because they came early. As mentioned, after waiting for a quite a while with minimal movement in the line to get into the bar, also getting close to game time we decided to leave and try to find another place to catch this pivotal game.
After a few failed attempts, to get into bars/restaurants nearby. We ended up at the Fox and Fiddle on Bay street just south of the Scotiabank Arena. At this point, we just wanted to get in anywhere that was showing the game. We didn’t care about waiting around for a table, instead just grabbing a few drinks at the bar standing up and cheering on the Raptors. My buddy Victor ended up showing up to the bar at around half time, the bar was antsy as you would expect during a big game. Patrons cheered loudly, booed, voiced their displeasure with the refs and let their emotions out on seemingly every possession, play or call. Overall, the game was very exciting although a little too close for comfort; once the Raptors pulled it out near the end fans were elated, and the atmosphere was awesome. Such a great night to be downtown and in an establishment where people of all backgrounds came together in unity to cheer on one team that represents this city and Canada so well.
These Raptors much like the city of Toronto and Canada as a whole, come from varied backgrounds like puzzle pieces put together. From the players to the coaches, training staff, and everyone in between, this truly feels like Canada’s team and a win for the country itself. After the Raptors won, the streets went crazy and luckily, we were right in the middle of all the action being so close to the arena. We cheered with everyone walking through the streets heading north towards Front street just like one big happy family. People were just so happy it was awesome to see, dancing in the streets on top garbage bins, vehicles, singing, screaming loudly you name it we saw it haha. There was a lot of cheering going on and I will say I did not envy the people in cars trying to navigate around the hordes of people coming out from the game and Jurassic Park. People crowded the roads, hugging and high fiving it was just a cool sight to witness. The smell of ganja filled the air around us as we walked through the streets, cars honked their horns and waved Raptors flags. Raptors gear was everywhere and what made it even cooler was that there was a light mist/fog in the air after it had just rained. Which made the scene seem like it came straight out of a movie. People kept the peace for the most part except for a few incidents with people getting on top of police cars at Yonge and Dundas square, which I feel did cross the line. Having said that, with the amount of people out and about celebrating this series victory to the finals for the Raps, it was a relatively peaceful and successful night. In terms of keeping the city safe and everyone following/obeying the rules. From what I heard in the news, there were very little arrests made if any at all.
As we continued walking north away from the crowds out seemingly everywhere, we did manage to capture some cool moments(celebrations) on video, which I will upload with this post. It was amazing to be walking around downtown, while the cars honked and people cheered through the rainy fog, which made the night feel that much more special. Later, we met up with some more friends and headed to Queen Street Warehouse (line was not too long to get in surprisingly) where the atmosphere was festive as expected and contained many happy and loud Raptors fans. Our crew ordered a few drinks and food. The lighting at Queen Street Warehouse gave it a chill laid back summer patio kind of vibe because they were dimly lit. Music was pretty good and there were some neat looking neon lights around the establishment as well. Patrons were cool, just excited to be out for this specific night and the staff was friendly.
Overall, I would say the night was a success and it was a beautiful experience to celebrate this historic Raptors series win with friends and the fans out on the town. As mentioned, the Raptors have really brought Toronto and Canada together going on this playoff run with their relentless play and even-keel attitude. Years of frustrating playoff loses and the experiences from those runs, have really benefited this team and given the fans a sense of appreciation for how special this team is and what this means to Toronto. Something the country can also easily get behind, be proud of and support considering it is our only NBA franchise. Toronto Raptors have the kind of support that is unmatched by any other fanbase in the NBA. Furthermore, if this is any indication of what a Raptors finals victory celebration over Golden State will look like, then nobody will want to miss what that will likely turn out to be. Times like these are where special moments are captured in every photo and video taken. It is where lasting memories are made, bonds are shared, and lifelong friends are found. One will not forget where they were and with who, if the Raptors bring a championship to Canada for the first time in NBA history. Let’s go Raptors!!!