NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard is notoriously calm, cool and collected, but even he is overwhelmed by the celebration taking place over the Toronto Raptorsâ first league championship.
âItâs amazing. Everybodyâs out. I donât believe nobody went in to work today. Look at it. Itâs amazing,â 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.
âThank you Toronto, thank you Canada for the support. We did it,â he said, as the crowd erupted in cheers.
Leonard wasnât the only player impressed by the reception for the team.
âThe ground is shaking. Itâs unbelievable. Itâs hard to put into words,â said guard Fred VanVleet, who was a clutch shooter for the Raptors down the stretch.
âThis is crazy, man⌠I donât know what else to say. I donât know what else to say,â said forward Pascal Siakam.
The next goal is to get another championship in 2020, he said.
âThese are the best fans in the world. They deserve it.â
Danny Green said he felt that all 36 million Canadians were celebrating the victory.
âItâs 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.â
Head coach Nick Nurse admitted that, last summer, he pondered what a victory parade might be like but never pictured this result.
âThe fans here have helped us a lot,â he said. âWhen they were singing O Canada in Game 1, you could see the looks on the Warriorsâ faces. They knew they had their hands full⌠they knew the whole country was behind the team.â
Kyle Lowry, the Raptorsâ 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 â pegged to take 2.5 hours â 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.
âThis is why we wanted to win a championship. This is unbelievable, unbelievable, and we ainât even close to being done.â
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.
âI 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 weâve got the makings here to keep this going and to build on this.â