Inferiority, Ujiri and Drake: Inside the Minds of Toronto Raptors Fans

He hit the game-clinching three over Joel Embiid in Game 4 of the second-round matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, which was followed by a series-clinching buzzer-beater in front of the home crowd in Game 7.In the Eastern Conference Finals, with Toronto trailing 2-0 against the Milwaukee Bucks, Leonard took on the defensive assignment against Giannis Antetokounmpo and was the best two-way player on the floor for the next four games.The Raptors won all four, and after Thursday's Game 1 victory in the NBA Finals over the Golden State Warriors, they are now three victories away from the championship.The on-court accomplishments have been remarkable—one of the greatest individual postseason runs in years—but Leonard's most improbable task might be this: He might have single-handedly changed a cynical Raptors fanbase into a group that is willing to believe in anything. From Tracy McGrady leaving in free agency for Orlando, Vince Carter demanding a trade to New Jersey, high draft picks like Andrea Bargnani not panning out and the repeated failures of the Dwane Casey-Kyle Lowry-DeMar DeRozan Raptors in the playoffs, there's a rich history of disappointment from following the franchise which has made this feeling permeate among the fanbase.Indu Rehal is a seasoned Raptors supporter and believes it's finally time to move on from what has long defined this suffering fanbase. There's often a feeling this franchise is completely detached from the other 29 markets in the U.S.Being the only team in Canada, the Raptors are also plagued with concerns from players, who have to pass through customs every time they re-enter the country and notice minute details like the fact that ESPN is not available on Canadian cable. I've always been cautious about condoning his involving himself in the game—not because it ever feels inappropriate (I watched Spike Lee sit courtside with the Knicks for years), but because of the fear that his sticking his neck out too far will only haunt the team and add another story to the franchise's list of embarrassing big-stage moments (I watched what happened to Lee during Reggie Miller's eight points in nine seconds).While my discomfort with Drake's bravado stems from the fear of watching the team embarrass itself again, his attitude combined with Ujiri's conviction and Leonard's calming presence creating a permanent change in the mindset of an entire fanbase.They're starting to learn to embrace being as confident as the faces of the franchise."I feel like people are emboldened by this playoff run," Sladkowski said. "I think a lot of people are starting to feel that way about the Raptors, but feeling this way makes them uncomfortable, like, 'No, this can't be good.' The Toronto sports fan is conditioned to say, 'I can't feel good about this.