Toronto Raptors: Championship feeling still strong one year later

On the one year anniversary of the Toronto Raptors’ first NBA championship, the celebration continues to be a rallying point.

Looking back to the massive celebration that broke out when the Toronto Raptors came away with the win in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, it was unlike anything the country had seen.

In Toronto, thousands flooded the downtown core climbing on busses, and shelters, pulling plants out of the ground and celebrated until the early hours of the morning. It was a moment that can’t be forgotten easily and shouldn’t be considering how long it took to happen.

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As we remember the night Kyle Lowry held the Larry O’Brien Trophy and Kawhi Leonard receiving a much-deserved NBA Finals MVP award, a lot has changed since then. What continues to remain the same however is the feeling and belief in what this team can accomplish.

With the NBA expected to return at the end of July, the Raptors aren’t receiving the best odds to repeat as champions. Here is the thing, while most of the chatter down south doesn’t give Toronto the respect they should get, the majority of fans still have faith.

Sure the team is without Leonard who came up with some dominant performances especially against the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks. At the same time, the Raptors have proven that they are still a contender without Kawhi in the lineup.

What this team has that some might not want to account for is that championship experience. Not only that but the mentality is also crucial, just ask Pascal Siakam.

"“To be simple and truthful, I don’t care what people think of the Raptors,” Siakam told TSN.“I think for us it’s been a lot of years of caring about ‘Oh, love me too,’ you know what I mean? I think that’s over, man.”"

Seeing Siakam not even care about the perception of the Raptors is crucial in a time like this. This was apparent during their title run last season, they had the mentality of a championship team adopted from the Leonard trade.

The crucial part now is not letting it go and right now, fans don’t want to let it go and this COVID-19 pandemic has allowed them to hold on to it a little bit longer.

What are your thoughts on the Raptors title win on the one-year anniversary? Which memories stand out the most? Where do you see them going this time around? Let us know in the comments below.