Toronto to Host Game 1 of NBA Finals Tonight!
Tonight will be a significant moment in Canadian and Toronto sports history. After finishing the regular season with a record of 58-24 and eliminating the 60-22 Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Toronto Raptors have earned home court advantage in their first-ever appearance in the NBA Finals. The Raps will host the favored Golden State Warriors, who are seeking a third consecutive NBA championship victory. Tonight’s game will be the first time an NBA championship has been played outside US territory.
Given that this game will be a Canadian first, there should be plenty of notable Toronto and Canadian figures in attendance, such as Mayor John Tory, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and celebrity team ambassador Drake, who has earned notoriety with his courtside escapades that have annoyed opposing fans. The Toronto Blue Jays are currently on the road, so I do not expect team members like SP Marcus Stroman and INF/DH Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who have been previous supporters, to appear. However, RP Ken Giles, who has embraced Toronto since being acquired from the Houston Astros, and Stroman coordinated to provide Raptors shirts to the team prior to their road trip in order to show support.
The Jays are all rocking Raptors shirts as they depart for their road trip following today's win over the Padres Marcus Stroman and Ken Giles came up with the idea. pic.twitter.com/5hkjLFo6M9
— Ian Shantz (@IanShantz) May 26, 2019
INF/DH Rowdy Tellez may have been less keen on the idea, however, as he apparently is an avid Warriors fan.
I can assure you Rowdy Tellez does not – based on his 'Go Warriors' shout as he left the clubhouse yesterday, and the razzing he was taking from his teammates about wearing Raptors gear – but what's a finals without some banter? https://t.co/0uoJS4HcDE
— Laura Armstrong (@lauraarmy) May 27, 2019
Game 1 will kick off at the late hour (for us eastern bastards) of 9:00 PM ET at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. If you have tens of thousands of dollars to drop, consider supporting the site by purchasing your tickets through SeatGeek!
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