The Warriors and Raptors share a crazier historical past than only a well-known Curry

When Drake confirmed up courtside for Recreation 1 of the NBA Finals carrying an autographed Dell Curry Toronto Raptors jersey, it was an epic, Grammy-level troll. However the truth that Dell performed for the Raptors and one in all his sons performs for the Golden State Warriors is way from the one historic connection between the 2 franchises. For 2 groups with 2,200 miles and a border between them, these franchises share a surprisingly lengthy historical past of connections — 15 of them, to be precise!

1. The intersections start on the very starting: Toronto’s unique basketball franchise, the Huskies, performed for one season, the inaugural 1946-47 marketing campaign of the Basketball Affiliation of America. In that 11-team precursor to the NBA, the Huskies performed the Philadelphia Warriors — who would transfer to the Bay Space 16 years later — six occasions. Who gained the title in Toronto’s solely season till the enlargement Raptors got here alongside in 1995? These Warriors.

Discover every little thing you might want to know in regards to the NBA Finals right here.

• Schedules, matchups and extra
• Can the Raptors beat this depleted protection?
• How Draymond Inexperienced discovered his zen
• The loopy Warriors-Raptors connections
• Predictions: Favorites and sure MVPs
• What’s subsequent for eradicated groups?

2. 4 many years later, the 2 future coaches of the NBA Finals have been setting the Midwest and Southwest ablaze with their Three-point capturing: Nick Nurse, whereas on the College of Northern Iowa from 1985 to 1989, set the college’s all-time Three-point share file (170-for-363, 46.eight %). In 1988, Kerr, whereas main the College of Arizona to the Closing 4, set an NCAA file for Three-point share in a season (114-for-199, 57.Three %).

Three. In 1995, the Raptors have been born — and in that yr’s enlargement draft they chose B.J. Armstrong, who had gained three NBA titles with Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, as their first choice. However when Armstrong refused to report back to the group, Toronto traded him for a bundle of 5 gamers to — you guessed it — Golden State.

four. Of their inaugural season, the enlargement Raptors gained simply 21 video games. However a kind of wins — a 109-108 nail-biter — got here in opposition to Jordan’s 72-win Bulls. The Warriors connection: On Chicago’s last possession, Kerr missed the potential go-ahead shot.

Vince Carter was a member of the Golden State Warriors for a number of minutes again in 1998, earlier than being traded to Toronto, the place he’d play the primary six seasons of his Corridor of Fame profession. Jeff Reinking/NBAE/Getty Photographs

5. On draft evening in 1998, the Warriors and Raptors swapped North Carolina teammates Antawn Jamison (Toronto’s choose at No. four) and Vince Carter (Golden State’s choose at No. 5). Carter would go on to turn out to be the primary All-Star in Raptors historical past. The Warriors included $300,000 in money within the deal, which, in line with the Toronto Solar, was used to construct the follow courtroom that Toronto would use previous to its coaching facility being constructed.

6. Carter’s well-known 2000 Slam Dunk Contest win, thought-about probably the greatest performances in NBA historical past, occurred at The Enviornment in Oakland. Raptors teammate Tracy McGrady — who handed to Carter for one of many dunks — completed third.

7. In 2001, as his father, Dell, was taking part in for the Raptors within the last season of his profession, a 12-year-old Steph Curry discovered himself on the center faculty basketball group at Queensway Christian School, a group that had gained simply three video games the prior season. However very similar to the plot of “Teen Wolf” come to life, the arrival of this sharpshooting, ballhandling wizard propelled the group to the championship.

The Warriors and Raptors are set to conflict within the Finals. Tune in right here.

Wednesday, June 5
• Recreation Three | 9 p.m. ET | ABC/WatchESPN

Friday, June 7
• Recreation four | 9 p.m. ET | ABC/WatchESPN

Monday, June 10
• Recreation 5 | 9 p.m. ET | ABC/WatchESPN

eight. Former Warriors coach Mark Jackson, who as we speak broadcasts the Finals for ESPN, performed 54 video games for Toronto throughout the 2000-01 season, when the Raptors gained their first playoff sequence. Jackson’s departure from each Finals groups got here earlier than they skilled success: He was traded to the New York Knicks in February 2001, previous to the Raptors’ sequence win. He exited as coach of the Warriors after the 2013-14 season, the yr earlier than the Dubs gained their first title in 40 years with Kerr on the helm.

9. Warriors ahead Draymond Inexperienced and Raptors superfan Drake exchanged phrases after the buzzer in Recreation 1. However they weren’t the primary phrases between the 2. In 2010, Inexperienced tweeted: “The place is the drake live performance 2nnite?” Then, later that evening after apparently going to stated live performance, he tweeted: “Drake has no swag in any respect!!!!!!”

10. Earlier than Linsanity consumed New York Metropolis, Jeremy Lin started his NBA profession as an undrafted free agent with the Warriors. A Bay Space native, Lin performed simply 29 video games with Golden State within the 2010-11 season, averaging 2.6 factors in 9.eight minutes. Seven franchises later, Lin now performs for the Raptors.

Kevin Durant is perhaps filled with celebration now, after two titles with the Warriors. However rising up? Not a lot. He was a fan of the Raptors, who averaged simply 32 wins per season throughout KD’s childhood. Harry How/Getty Photographs

11. Is Kevin Durant’s internal little one conflicted by this NBA Finals matchup? Contemplate that in 2013, Durant advised “The Dan Patrick Present” that, regardless of rising up close to D.C., he cherished the Raptors due to their standing because the NBA’s new youngsters on the block, cool unis and Carter’s unbelievable athleticism.

12. Golden State’s Alfonzo McKinnie and Toronto’s Patrick McCaw each bought their begins with the opposite facet. McKinnie was signed by the Raptors as an undrafted free agent in the summertime of 2017. Up and down from the G League, he performed sparingly in 14 video games that season earlier than being waived. He signed with the Warriors earlier than this season. McCaw, initially a second-round choose of the Milwaukee Bucks, performed in 128 video games for the Warriors — beginning 30 of them — earlier than touchdown with the Cavs and, ultimately, the Raptors this winter.

Kawhi Leonard, Mike Brown and Steve Kerr won’t appear to be they’ve a lot in frequent. However … they do! They are not solely all branches from the Gregg Popovich tree, however all of them, at one level, lived in San Diego. Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports activities

13. The Raptors are The North and the Warriors are The Bay — however the rosters of each groups this season share a novel connection to San Diego. Kerr was a longtime resident of town, and Kerr’s high assistant, Mike Brown, performed hoops on the College of San Diego. On the opposite facet, Kawhi Leonard starred at San Diego State, and Raptors teammate Norman Powell was born and raised throughout the metropolis limits.

14. She The North? Little-known reality: Steph Curry’s spouse, Ayesha, was born in Toronto and was raised in a suburb of town. In accordance with her Instagram web page, she stays a twin citizen.

15. If the Raptors win the title this yr, Nurse would be part of 4 others for the reason that merger to have gained a championship as a rookie head coach. One of many others? Kerr. One other? Tyronn Lue — who achieved the feat in opposition to the Warriors in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Further analysis from Anthony Olivieri.