Dear Gossips,
#WeTheNorth!
No, but seriously, we are. This blog is based in Canada. I was born and raised in Toronto. And in case you haven’t heard, the Toronto Raptors made history last night winning the NBA Championship for the first time in franchise history, which means, obviously, that the title, for the first time, has come to Canada. According to early estimates, over half our nation was watching the game. I’m telling you this because it’s a big f-cking deal here so we might be a little distracted today. Last night was epic, no exaggeration. Even Kawhi Leonard was excited. If you’ve been following, Kawhi very rarely shows any emotion. His mad, sad, and happy faces are all the same. This is why a moment like this became a highlight:
kawhi dancing is everything i didnt know i needed #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/HCHvTnFunm
— ☼ (@rpahall) June 14, 2019
Kawhi can indeed be a fun guy. And HOT.
My favourite tweet, however, is this one.
24 years.
— Raptors Nation™ (@WeTheNorth__) June 14, 2019
Over 1,000 games attended.
Never missed a single game.
Never been late to a game.
Never left a game early.
Congratulations @superfan_nav #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/SwPNo4yCk1
Nav Bhatia is not a Toronto Raptor but he is the Raptors’ biggest fan. He’s famous in our city, and now our country, because while he may not be as famous as, you know, the other guy, he really is the best ambassador for the team.
Through the years, since the very beginning, Nav has not only always been there, he regularly gives away tickets – spending thousands of dollars – to underserved youth to attend the games and works with team management to organise multicultural nights at the games. Here’s a Twitter thread from a couple of weeks ago highlighting Nav’s contributions:
With the #Raptors about to hit the global stage, I’m going to share a story about what makes Toronto, and Canada, so special. It’s about a guy you’re going to be seeing a whole lot of.
— Muhammad Lila (@MuhammadLila) May 26, 2019
A Thread.
[Hint: It's about racism, sports, and why you'll end up cheering for 🍁]
Even coaches and players from opposing teams are into Nav. And of course Nav was there last night, a celebrity in his own right.
June 13, 2019 – the North will remember!
Have a great weekend!
Yours in gossip,
Lainey