Even after the addition of Kawhi Leonard, the Toronto Raptors winning the 2018-19 NBA championship wasn’t a possibility entertained by sports media as a whole. In addition to the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference, the Golden State Warriors were once again slated to pick up what would’ve been their fourth title in five years.
Despite Toronto having a whole new roster, coach, and philosophy on their way to the No. 2 seed, they weren’t given much of a chance. In addition to the fact, the Eastern Conference champion was regarded as the proverbial chum that sharks like the Warriors would feast on, playoff failures of yesteryear still loomed over the franchise.
After years of failure at the hands of LeBron James, the Raptors not only became the first Canadian champions in the NBA, but they did so while ending one of the most dominant dynasties the sport has and will ever see.
Two years ago to the day, the Raptors officially finished off Golden State in six games, getting Masai Ujiri and Nick Nurse a championship after years of frustration. With that win, this team became immortalized in Canadian sports lore and the tapestry of the NBA as a whole.
2⃣ Years Ago Today! (June 13, 2019)
— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) June 13, 2021
"The Toronto @Raptors are NBA Champions. A city, a province, a country celebrates!" 🏆
Relive the game with @Eric__Smith & @Paul__Jones 🎧 https://t.co/RsZSw5NbKs#WeTheNorth | #Raptors pic.twitter.com/mbIkhNICid
The Toronto Raptors finally became champions in 2019.
The Raptors overcame a tough 76ers team thanks to a Leonard shot that is without question one of the most memorable moments of the last half-decade across the NBA. They followed that up by coming back from a 2-0 deficit against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks just to get to the mighty Warriors.
Even without KD, the key parts of the 73-9 team from several years ago were intact. Luckily, Toronto was saved by one of the greatest performances in playoff history, as Leonard averaged just under 29 points and 10 rebounds per game in order to take home Finals MVP honors.
Toronto wasn’t just riding on the coattails of Leonard, however, as six Raptors averaged double-digits in scoring. Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry came up with clutch basket after clutch basket, Fred VanVleey couldn’t miss from 3-point range, and Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka went to work inside.
Simply put, it took a complete team effort to take down Steph Curry and Golden State.
Obviously, things would’ve been different if Kevin Durant had played in this series for more than one quarter, but we’re long past time to question hypotheticals. The Raptors overcame their playoff demons while pulling off upset after upset and officially forcing the clock to strike midnight on the Warriors’ dynasty.