“Jurassic Park” Roars In The NBA Finals

Jurassic Park grows larger throughout Toronto as the Raptors continue to excite the public this summer . Although this headline may resemble that of a Steven Spielberg film, it thankfully comes without the hungry dinosaurs, plot–essential awful security and disappointing sequels that the film franchise possesses. Rather than a massive chaotic zoo overflowing with prehistoric life, Jurassic Park now defines as Toronto’s basketball community, who’ve acquired a national spotlight during their team’s NBA Finals run.

A tradition initially spawned during a playoff series between the Brooklyn Nets and now NBA Finals–bound Toronto Raptors in 2014, “Jurassic Park” comes into effect during every Raptors playoff game, as fans flood the streets surrounding Scotiabank Arena while their team hits the hardwood against other teams playing for the Larry O’Brien trophy. With a massive television screen broadcasting the events unfolding inside the arena setup outside for fans, Jurassic Park roars after every Kawhi Leonard buzzer beater, Pascal Siakam dunk, and Kyle Lowry three–pointer. Forming a crowd large enough to consume a T–Rex, the Toronto faithful participating in Jurassic Park each night illustrate not only their fandom’s greatness, but also pioneer yet another way for fans to invest themselves beyond reason into their beloved sports teams.

While Raptors fans assemble into Jurassic Park year after year amid their team’s six straight playoff appearances, the fan base now ushers in a new age by stepping things up as the city hosts the NBA Finals’s first two contests. Prior to Game One, fans began stirring about outside the arena just as the sun rose, almost 15 hours before tipoff. By the time each team took the floor roughly 5,000 congregated to cheer on the Eastern Conference champions against the Golden State Warriors. Former Toronto Raptor’s legend Chris Bosh  added to the red and white tsunami outside that arena , as he greeted and chatted up fans before the game, adding a spark to a fanbase already burning bright, as a raging fire outside the arena.

Although Toronto remains a city where the pub TV’s broadcast hockey games, rather than basketball, Jurassic Park’s existence proves basketball has a place in The Six. After the Grizzlies departure for Memphis, Toronto earned the badge as Canada’s only NBA team, and unlike their former Vancouver opponents, the Raptors appear tied to their city amid the team’s success and contagious popularity. Alongside Jurassic Park’s emergence , the team’s year–by–year value increase shows the Toronto basketball project works, and shows no signs pointing to a recess. Jurassic Park stands ready to detonate once more, as Game Two tips off in Toronto on Sunday, June 2, 2018 at 8 p.m. ETS.

Article by Collin Helwig