NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard is notoriously calm, cool and collected, but even he is overwhelmed by the celebration taking place over the Toronto Raptors鈥� first league championship.
鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing. Everybody鈥檚 out. I don鈥檛 believe nobody went in to work today. Look at it. It鈥檚 amazing,鈥� said Leonard about the throngs of people lining the parade route Monday.
Tens of thousands of people fell silent as an interview with the star forward that fans desperately hope will sign as a free agent with the Raptors was broadcast at Nathan Phillips Square where a rally is scheduled once the team arrives.
鈥淭hank you Toronto, thank you Canada for the support. We did it,鈥� he said, as the crowd erupted in cheers.
Leonard wasn鈥檛 the only player impressed by the reception for the team.
鈥淭he ground is shaking. It鈥檚 unbelievable. It鈥檚 hard to put into words,鈥� said guard Fred VanVleet, who was a clutch shooter for the Raptors down the stretch.
鈥淭his is crazy, man鈥� I don鈥檛 know what else to say. I don鈥檛 know what else to say,鈥� said forward Pascal Siakam.
The next goal is to get another championship in 2020, he said.
鈥淭hese are the best fans in the world. They deserve it.鈥�
Danny Green said he felt that all 36 million Canadians were celebrating the victory.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great feeling. The fans have supported us all year and we try to do the best we can to show as much love back to them. This is our way to trying to do that, giving it back to them.鈥�
Head coach Nick Nurse admitted that, last summer, he pondered what a victory parade might be like but never pictured this result.
鈥淭he fans here have helped us a lot,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen they were singing O Canada in Game 1, you could see the looks on the Warriors鈥� faces. They knew they had their hands full鈥� they knew the whole country was behind the team.鈥�
Kyle Lowry, the Raptors鈥� long-tenured player, had a tight grip on the championship trophy as he and his teammates took in the massive crowds jamming the parade route. More than three hours into the procession 鈥� pegged to take 2.5 hours 鈥� the buses carrying the team had just passed the halfway point on the route.
Seas of people are flooding the streets, overpasses, rooftops and parking garages to get a view of the parade.
鈥淭his is why we wanted to win a championship. This is unbelievable, unbelievable, and we ain鈥檛 even close to being done.鈥�
Raptors owners Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment is committed to carrying on the winning, too, says Edward Rogers, chair of Rogers Communications and a director of MLSE.
鈥淚 want everyone to know that the three of us and everyone are going to do everything we can to not just make this a one year thing but a dynasty. I think we鈥檝e got the makings here to keep this going and to build on this.鈥�
