REFLECTION & REASON

King Ujah Raptor fever has been fantastic! So fantastic, that it's going to be sad to see it pass and hard to fill the void of excitement and pride that NBA fans across the country have been feeling lately. For the past few years, each season has manifested increased energy and fan support from Torontonians, Canadians, and basketball fans around the globe. As the momentum carried on into the post-season with playoff games and a heightened realization that our hometown NBA squad could potentially bring us to the Finals, the creativity from supporters only increased. Heading into the Eastern Conference Finals, and eventually the Finals, the fanfare continued to elevate in crowd sizes, paraphernalia sales, and wild and uncontrollable antics of joy from inside the Scotiabank Arena, to outside in Jurassic Park, and in recording studios across the GTA. Now that yesterday's victory parade has come and gone and the festivities have "officially" come to an end (for now...

I've been to Raptors games before, but this one definitely had a different energy. A lot of the guys are the same, a lot of the fans are the same, but there was something extra "Toronto-ish" about last night's home opener against the Indiana Pacers. The evening of Wednesday, December 28 began at 6:00pm, with Toronto-native Jamaal Magloire addressing the crowd, thanking the management, and promising the fans an exciting season. Although a new member of the team, it has been great to see the media unofficially annointing Magloire the "voice" of the Raptors. My footage from the game intro... Despite the well-appreciated presence of Bargnani, Calderon, and DeRozan, I think the fans, the media, and the team are enjoying the toughness and personalization that Magloire's addition to the team brings. Giving him the mic to start off the season is a perfect indicator of what he means to the franchise at this time. Magloire " is" Toronto . Naturally. ...