Things didn’t go according to the plan for the Toronto Raptors as they were eliminated too soon. There’s one guilty party that should take all the blame.
The Toronto Raptors went the distance with the Boston Celtics but in the end, they weren’t able to deliver a knock out blow. Instead of finishing the season hoisting the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, the Dinos will be forced to watch another squad get their turn collecting the hardware.
There are thousands of basketball experts breaking down what went wrong and who is to blame for the team falling short of their goal. Only we at Raptors Rapture know the truth about why the Raptors lost.
The reality of the situation is that there is someone to blame and it’s not a person anyone suspects. In fact, he’s not even an employee of the Toronto Raptors organization. The weight of the franchise’s disappointment in the bubble rests solely on the shoulders of Alexander in Brampton, Ontario.
Alexander is a middle school teacher and Raptors fan. He has always enjoyed following the team and would often watch the highlights of games the next morning. That changed during the club’s 2019 championship run. Once the Dinos started beating down the Orlando Magic, Alexander began watching every game live.
On the night that the Philadelphia 76ers and Raptors met for Game Seven last year, Alexander was in fine form. He was wearing his Andrea Bargnani jersey, the one he bought in 2007 after spending days deliberating whether he should get Jamario Moon or Chis Bosh’s name on the back. He eventually decided Bargnani was the right choice because the big man was sure to be a legend remembered by all.
Alexander had pad thai for dinner, it was leftover from a larger meal his parents had brought over the previous night for the family to share. He had also found a hand towel that read, “Vinsanity” that he won years earlier by playing several games of skee ball. He was clutching that towel when Kawai Leonard hoisted ‘The Shot’ and broke the hearts of 76ers fans everywhere.
Even since that big victory, Alexander has had a routine when he watches Raptors games. On game day, he wears his Bargnani jersey no matter what he has to do. When interviewing for a position teaching a grade seven class, he even surreptitiously sported the jersey below his blazer. Even though Alexander only mildly enjoys pad thai, he eats it before every game. He must also hold the Vinsanity towel in his left hand while gripping the television remote in his right. Finally, Alexander must wear his lucky Reebok Pumps. He pumps them up seven times before the start of each quarter. The number seven is significant because it was the year he bought the jersey he wears, the number on its chest and back, as well as his current favorite player’s number, Kyle Lowry. Once everything is right, he’s ready for basketball.
On Friday night, Alexander was wearing the Pumps and jersey but the Thai restaurant he always ordered from had unexpectedly closed due to a health violation. Instead of searching out another source for pad thai, Alexander decided to grill a burger. He told himself that it would be fine just this once. When Alexander accidentally dripped mustard on his stomach, he had to remove the jersey to clean it before a stain would set. He knew it wasn’t ideal but he’d have it back on in time for tip-off.
Once the game began, Alexander pumped his sneakers properly and sat with his towel and remote, both in their proper places. That was until he got a phone call from his mother. She had called to ask how to download a youtube video because Alexander’s father wanted to watch the basketball game too. Before Alexander could finish explaining that that’s not how youtube works or where his parents could find the broadcast, he realized that he had put down both his remote and towel to yell into the phone.
Alexander hung up defeated. He knew he had cost the team with his reckless behavior. By the fourth quarter, he didn’t even bother pumping his shoes. There was no point. Their fate was already sealed. Alexander watched the remainder of the contest trying to take solace in the knowledge that he wouldn’t have to eat pad thai anymore.
It’s been a great run for the Toronto Raptors but in the end, Alexander was just too much to overcome. Now it’s time to look ahead to 2021.