Raptors fans win praise from rival Brooklyn Nets
Posted May 2, 2014 4:15 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Raptors know they have some of the loudest and proudest fans in the league. And so do their rivals.
During Wednesday’s Game 5, a writer for the rival Brooklyn Nets took to Twitter to admonish the lack of enthusiasm from Nets fans.
The team has since apologized for the tweet, saying it did not represent the organization’s feelings.
“We have great fans. Looking forward to seeing you Friday for Game 6,” the Nets tweeted.
But the fact remains the Nets have a formidable fan base to compete with. In hockey-crazy Canada, the Raptors’ Game 5 drew record-setting ratings on the same night three Game 7s were going in the NHL. The Raptors broadcast was the most-watched NBA game in Canadian history, with an average of one million viewers tuning in to watch.
Raps fans also have earned praise from the wider basketball community. U.S.-based basketball blogger David Brown recently wrote a post entitled “Toronto Raptors fans are elite (and Oklahoma City Thunder fans are not).”
Click here to read the post.
The Raptors have been drawing inspiration from the fans throughout the series, reportedly watching footage of the packed Maple Leaf Square (or Jurassic Park, as it’s come to be called during the playoffs) ahead of Game 4.
“Oh man, it’s unbelievable, our fan base,” Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry said. “It makes you want to just be a part of it. Things that we’re doing right now and the way the fan base is going out there, we want to go out there and play hard and give them a reason to keep coming back and packing Maple Leaf Square and packing the ACC.
The Raptors lead the series 3-2 going into Friday’s Game 6 at the Barclay Center.
With files from Canadian Press
