We The North: Rise And Shine

As a Raptors fan, i am one of 35,000 Canadians living in the San Francisco Bay Area, many of us have gone to top tier universities and are working in jobs in tech or finance. Until this week, however, being a Raptors fan was a largely thankless task in a region that boasts one of the most successful basketball teams in recent NBA history. There wasn't even much of a rivalry between the teams before the Finals. The Raptors were barely on the radar in California. Most Warrior supporters looked at the matchup with Toronto with a mix of surprise and compassion. But after Raptors beat the Warriors in Game 1 things have started to change. Canadians are coming out of the woodwork in droves in the Bay Area as well as in Toronto organizing viewing parties and asking friends and family to buy Raptors gear. As an athlete myself, there's a difference between winning the championship and just going to the Finals–the championship has an enduring effect. We are all hyped.