The Toronto Raptors are headed to their first NBA Finals in franchise history. Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry beat Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night in Game 6 to send them home and push Toronto into the final series of the year against the Golden State Warriors.
Raptors fans, who have been perennially disappointed by teams who were just good enough, naturally found themselves celebrating in the streets of Ontario. Videos of cars honking and people walking through the avenues surfaced on social media, with the whole thing looking like a big party.
Via Twitter:
Runnin’ through the 6 with my woes. #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/zfW40uXwtY
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) May 26, 2019
T.O. LOVES @FredVanVleet! #WeTheNorth
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) May 26, 2019
📽️: @FredVanVleet / IG pic.twitter.com/tRuUZEwQ0e
@Raptors fans!! It took 24 years to be able to say this to you but you ALL deserve this!!! WE ARE GOING TO THE #NBAFINALS #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/s70TuooNfH
— The Raptor (@the_raptor) May 26, 2019
T.O. WE LOVE YOU! #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/xqnRS8UuxU
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) May 26, 2019
BEST FANS IN THE NBA #raptors #rtz pic.twitter.com/LIDfU66T4m
— Rational Leafs Fan (@chkncurry) May 26, 2019
People really shooting fireworks from their cars in downtown Toronto #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/yA9Aubyb8L
— Emily (@edirenzo) May 26, 2019
DOWNTOWN TORONTO IS CRAAAAZY RN 🔥🔥🔥🔥🎉🎉🎉🎉 pic.twitter.com/0rsXisVpap
— A$AP ROXY (@villyroxx) May 26, 2019
Currently happening on the streets of downtown Toronto. @Raptors @globalnews @globalnewsto #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/19mmmcdQdK
— Shallima Maharaj (@ShallimaMaharaj) May 26, 2019
Traffic at a standstill in downtown Toronto. People are going bananas. Fans have stopped vehicles moving.
— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) May 26, 2019
This is Blue Jay Way between King and Front Street.
Cars honking, strangers hugging, chants of 'Let's Go Raptors,' and, well, pandemonium... pic.twitter.com/7FSEiBIXiS
The Raptors aren’t the most talented team in the Eastern Conference, but they did have the best player in the entire playoffs this season in Leonard. Coach Nick Nurse figured out a way to stop the Bucks by collapsing on Antetokounmpo, and Milwaukee’s shooters went cold at just the wrong time. The rest of the Raptors bench finally gave Leonard some support, and Toronto was able to mount a comeback in the series to push themselves into the NBA finals.
For that, both Toronto and the Raptors fans deserve to be overjoyed with what’s happening right now.
Game 1 of the 2019 NBA Finals will be on Thursday at 6 p.m. PST in Toronto.