Arena The NBA Thread

i think it will be a tough series, the Raptors are better than the Trailblazers.

 

Well, no; Spurs won it in ‘03.

 

At least it's a new team in the finals this year.

 

And unfortunately the wrong team got replaced

 

That was pretty darn amazing to see. Check out literally the entire city going nuts for it



(no arrests, one injury, someone hurt their foot in "Jurassic Park", the area in front of the ACC that basically extended for literally blocks last night)

Anyway, it was just fantastic to see the Raptors finally go to the finals, finally. Still not sure how Drake got an NBA Finals hat literally before some of the players, though. And, hey, people have been thinking the Raptors would lie over after going down 2-0 (myself included) but they keep coming back in the end. Momentum is a real thing! (although I will expect some scary moments of them being down by, like, a lot, wouldn't be a Raptors game if that didn't happen). They're even possibly getting OG Anunoby back after his appendix litterally tried to murder him about a month and a half ago! Team of destiny, dangit.

 

Tomorrow at 10am my friend is trying to get me a ticket to the NBA Finals game 1. He’s a Raptors season ticket holder and gets first crack at extras. I’m praying he can make it happen because it will be better than the resale market . I’m expecting to spend over $500 CAD tomorrow for upperdecks to try to go to game 1.

Why? Been on my bucketlist a long time to go to a Finals game of some kind. I expected I’d likely have to drive somewhere else to do it someway. With my Raptors in it I have to try.

As the team looked better and better I purposely avoided going to a few games I had considered in the regular season with the goal of saving that money for those few games for a playoff game but wasn’t sure which game to choose. Until now. Can’t wait any longer.

 

this guy is the Raps superfan who should get more press (courtside under the basket every game)

 

I’ve heard stories in Toronto about how Nav was late for a Raptors game due to traffic and went on the shoulder and the cops stopped him, recognized him, and let him go. Nobody says bad stuff about him. He’s a super nice guy from what I’ve heard and often let’s kids check out the court up close if they never have been down there. Raptors security lets him do stuff like that and he’s well known in the NBA now.

He’s very well-liked by the players too. I saw JJ Reddick talking to him in the 76ers series. Probably because he’s been there since JJ was a rookie.

He was at Vince Carter’s wedding back in the day and remains close to Vince Carter to this day.

 

I got NBA Finals tickets today!

 

that's awesome. for game 1?

 

Only your firstborn? Cuz if you burn the contract with the devil with the proper incantation it doesn't count!

 

Could only get game 2 and yeah the cost was the most I’ve ever paid for any live event in my life but it’s just a bucketlist thing I felt I needed. Hard to explain.

I’m worried the Raptors might be able to catch them off guard in game 1 & then get smoked for my game as a revenge game.

 

Pfft, that's the most understandable thing ever! Why would you have to explain? Have great time @Ender_and_Bean

 

i could just as easily see it going the other way. but honestly i have no predictions for how this series will go. a lot of people assumed that i was rooting for the raptors because they assumed they would be a better matchup for the warriors. honestly i don't think that's the case. the bucks' inexperience showed a bit in the ecf, and if it hadn't showed there i think it very well might have in the finals. plus i think they might have just been happy to be there. there will be none of that sentiment from kawhi, who already has a finals mvp under his belt and who is showing that he has an argument for best current basketball player in the world. the raptors' best bet is probably to do all they can to turn the series into as much of a defensive slugfest as possible. they have the personnel to do that, and they have the player in kawhi who can get tough buckets at the ends of games like that. kawhi scares me with how calm he is in clutch moments. this could be a great series.

 

Curry’s so hard to hate (beyond the mouth guard nonsense). He still seems to reminisce fondly of his time in Canada. Dude knows how to make us not want to boo him as much as other stars.



I forgot his wife was Canadian too.

 

Dan Gilbert in hospital following stroke.

Apparently he is awake and alert, which is good.

 

ESPN felt like it was more Endgame with this video:



The Blazers and Warriors series was more a song of fire and ice.



In both videos, the Warriors portrayed the villains.



Back in April 2016, I visited Toronto and had the opportunity to catch the final Maple Leaf game of the season. I wore the home team's hat and sweater, but wore a Golden State scarf. During the game, I bought a soda from the concession worker working my section and he saw my scarf and asked me, "When the Raptors play the Warriors in the Finals who are you going to root for?" I answered honestly and the concession worker, in somewhat sarcastic and joking manner, didn't want to sell me the soda. Of course, he didn't know I was from the Bay Area. He was cool though, despite giving me a dirty look.

Here's me at the "Air Canada Centre" as it was called in 2016 in my GSW scarf and the Raptors' logo above me on the right.



I love the city of Toronto and I was predicting they would win game six. I'm glad they made it to the NBA Finals and celebrated their Eastern Conference Championship in the city. There's nothing like a local team making to the Championship round to unite a city. That being said, I really can't wish the Raptors good luck as it's a conflict of interest. But at the same time, I won't trash talk the Raptors. The Warriors should not underestimate them and never feel comfortable with any lead like they did with the Clippers.

 

You won't regret it. The spectacle of the thing is insane and it'll feel like you're breathing different air. Soak it in and enjoy it!

 

So when the Toronto Raptors win do they invited to the White House or does Justin Trudeau have to step up?

 

And then have the Raptors snub Trump for Trudeau?

 

quite right