Patrick McCaw is the future of Toronto Raptors fan favorites

Patrick McCaw’s unexpected start and breakthrough into the hallowed, championship halls of the NBA is why he is poised to be a future fan favorite of the Toronto Raptors.

There are certain players that exude championship-caliber feelings; players that inspire and have won despite extraordinary odds. Some of the three-time champions include the likes of stars Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade. Then there are the less notable three-time champions; the epitome of the locker room, glue-guys. This list includes players like James Jones, and you guessed it, Patrick McCaw of the Toronto Raptors.

Many times the forgettable players that have the “three-time NBA champion” moniker attached to them have ridden the coattails of other stars in the league and, of course, have had a bit of luck. But, Patrick McCaw’s journey is far different from that.

McCaw did nothing out of the gates of his career except join the unfathomable Warriors dynasty right before they signed the fourth head of their monster, Kevin Durant. In his first two seasons with the Warriors, McCaw beat the LeBron-led Cavaliers en route to his first two titles, which started a fierce debate of whether Durant or McCaw was the true exemplary signing for the Warriors.

That was a joke.

Of course, two-time Champion and two-time Finals MVP, Kevin Durant, was the real reason why the Warriors made a nearly untouchable leap. Additionally, perhaps the star-studded cast was the reason why McCaw sought to leave the Warriors during all the winning or, perhaps, he had already read the tea leaves about their eventual demise.

Whatever the reasoning, Pat McCaw and his agent orchestrated a deal to the Cavaliers for two years, six million dollars. But, upon landing in Cleveland and after only three games, McCaw must have realized that LeBron James was, in fact, with the Lakers because the Cavaliers quickly released him before the contract was guaranteed.

That’s when he wound up on the Toronto Raptors.

There are lots of signs that exemplify why McCaw can end up as the Raptors next fan favorite, but there are a few that are especially important to note. First, McCaw has a name that sounds like something a dinosaur might shout. Seriously, say it out loud: McCAWWW! It just sounds like the sort of noise a pterodactyl would scream.

And, while they’re known as the Toronto Raptors, it is unlike a dinosaur to knowingly spite another dinosaur. It is not inconceivable to imagine a screeching pterodactyl reverberating through the speakers at Scotiabank Arena when McCaw drills one from deep.

More seriously, though, McCaw is like a super-senior, walk-on on a collegiate team; when he takes the floor he can be deployed as the “human victory cigar” technique which subsequently signals the crowd to beg for McCaw to rain fire from three-point land. It is simultaneously the best and most difficult thing in sports to ask someone to go out and make the crowd cheer despite a lack of warming up.

Yet, for fans, it’s also a signal that it’s okay to walk out a wee bit early and try to escape the devastating traffic. But McCaw’s demeanor and desperation keeps fans in their seats even in the waning moments of a blowout win or loss. Fan favorites are there to entertain despite the circumstances and McCaw fits that bill emphatically.

Yet, most of all, McCaw inspires fans to believe that perhaps he shared some keys to unlocking and demolishing the Warriors dynasty. While there were certainly other factors that helped— Kawhi Leonard and devastating injuries—there is something to be said about having a possible insider to the Warriors playbook.

McCaw even played over 10 minutes of the Finals and, although he finished the series with a minus-14, he hit a three in Game 1 to cushion a diminishing lead. Considering it was the Finals, the crowd was very raucous already, but the cheering after McCaw drained the three seemed noticeably louder.

Perhaps, it was nerves from the crowd. Or, maybe, it was the scintillating McCaw making his way into their hearts. Only time will tell.

Now that McCaw has gobbled up a roster spot like a Thanksgiving turkey for the next two years, we will certainly get to see whether or not he develops into a true Raptors fan favorite. In the meantime, he’s a fun spark off the bench and has a jewelry collection that is three times the size of Kyle Lowry’s.

Needless to say, McCaw is a champion in his own right—including the first three-peat champion since 2000-02 Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal—and that is worthy entertainment for getting stuck in traffic.