There are two sports in this world that I love dearly with all my heart: basketball and mixed martial arts. I’d like to consider myself quite the savant when it comes to both, so any time I see an intersection between them, it always brings a smile to my face.
So, you can imagine that the excitement I felt was matched only by the very good vibes of the Toronto Raptors team, who were being paid a visit by UFC Hall of Famer and one of my all-time favorites, Georges “Rush” St-Pierre.
St-Pierre was shown on the crowd cam during the Raptors’ home game matchup against the Miami Heat on February 21, but his contributions to the team were not just limited to cheering them on at Scotiabank Arena.
In a clip posted by the Raptors' social media team on both Instagram and X (attached below for reference), St-Pierre is introduced by assistant coach Jama Mahlalela, much to the delight of the boys and a very stunned Scottie Barnes.
GSP ditched the cage for the court in visit with the Toronto Raptors
Nahhh, today was different. A time was HAD with @GeorgesStPierre at practice 😅 pic.twitter.com/tRR61tVtbF
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) February 22, 2025
Barnes, donning his best boxing look with a robe that read “SB4,” jokingly squared off with the former three-time UFC champion. The ex-Rookie of the Year knew better than to stick around, much to the amusement of everyone in attendance.
It appears GSP also took the opportunity to teach the Raptors staff and players a thing or two about his field of work. In the short clip, we see St-Pierre demonstrating how to apply a rear-naked choke (the same technique he used to secure the Middleweight championship in 2017) and showcasing his trademark strikes, like the Superman jab, which Jakob Poeltl can be seen practicing.
You can also see guys like recent Raptors addition Jared Rhoden trying to figure out the correct choking maneuvers, a jolly Chris Boucher and Jamal Shead goofing around, and veteran Garrett Temple locking in an RNC on rookie Ja’Kobe Walter.
Seeing as St-Pierre is one of the most well-rounded MMA fighters of all time (if not the most), I couldn’t think of a more iconic and brilliant mind to help introduce a new element of training for this blossoming Raptors team.
The video concludes with a fantastic team huddle, as GSP sends them off with a spirited “1-2-3, Raptors” cheer. Everyone appears to have had a great time learning from arguably one of Canada’s greatest athletes of all time. At the end, Raptors wing Ochai Agbaji throws his name into the mix as well, playfully putting GSP in a chokehold and saying, “I think I can beat you in a fight, though.”
You love to see the vibes and team chemistry of this Raptors team experiencing almost a second wind, despite all the hardships and struggles they've endured throughout this season.
Nonetheless, you can never count out a game-on Raptors squad, which has shown they can pull off a few surprises even when things look bleak and uncertain. The team has a new face in the mix, too, with Brandon Ingram (seemingly M.I.A in this GSP practice clip), and I've said before that he’s going to be just another element of camaraderie and positivity for this young Toronto roster.