No, there is no asterisk next to the Raptors championship.
You don’t climb to the top of the steepest championship mountain in professional sports and then have to deal with the ridiculous idea that it was somehow so easy that history should reflect it wasn’t a fair fight.
This Raptors team earned every single moment of their championship, regardless of the Warriors injuries.
They swept the Warriors on their home floor, beating them TWICE when the Warriors were supposed to rise up and protect their beloved home floor before its extinction.
Even without Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant, the Warriors had more combined All NBA appearances than the Raptors.
The Raptors have zero players on their championship roster who were lottery picks.
Pascal Siakiam led the team in scoring in their title clinching win - he’s a third year player from NEW MEXICO STATE.
Kyle Lowry could never get it done in the playoffs. Marc Gasol was the throw in for his brother Pau’s trade to Los Angeles. Serge Ibaka was supposed to be washed. Fred Van Fleet’s first name is Fred.
This team should be celebrated in every corner of the NBA where a super team will never be possible, like Phoenix.
Kawhi didn’t get dealt to Toronto and then start recruiting other stars to join him. First of all, that would’ve required him to have human interactions and relationships and second of all, he’s not human.
This wasn’t a super team. It was a super star surrounded by one of the greatest supporting casts in modern NBA history.
Sure the Warriors were weakened by injury but they were also exposed for their lack of depth and failed draft picks and free agent signings. Think this team could’ve used Mitchell Robinson or Jalen Brunson or Rodions Kurucs? Those were all second round picks that the Warriors passed on at #28 last year to draft Jacob Evans. Wouldn’t Brook Lopez have been a better fit than DeMarcus Cousins?
Asterisks are for completely abnormal occurrences. PED-tainted MLB records. Strike shortened years. Replacement players.
Just because this series didn’t happen the way an overwhelming amount of people thought it would, doesn’t mean its an asterisk. You, and I, being wrong doesn’t mean history has to permanently disrespect the Raptors.
What happened in this series is as normal as it gets: The unexpected happened.
That’s not asterisk worthy, that’s just sports.