LeBron has ‘unbelievable respect’ for Raptors fans

Jane Bracher

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LeBron has ‘unbelievable respect’ for Raptors fans
LeBron James shows his admiration and respect for the unwavering support of Toronto Raptors fans in Game 6 against the Cleveland Cavaliers

MANILA, Philippines – LeBron James was slightly speechless after the final buzzer of Game 6.

It was not only because he and his Cleveland Cavaliers have reached the NBA Finals for the second straight season, but also because he was left in awe by the relentless and unwavering support from the home crowd of the Toronto Raptors.

After scoring 33 points and leading the Cavs to a comfortable 113-87 victory Friday, May 27 (Saturday morning, May 28 in Manila), James went to sideline reporter Doris Burke for the post-game interview. Instead of directly answering the question, he found himself inevitably taking in the loud chants of “Let’s go, Raptors!” by fans at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

“First of all,” he said, then paused, looking around him, “do you hear this? Can you hear this? Unbelievable respect and much respect to these fans, to this country. This is unbelievable. I’ve never been a part of something like this in my 13-year career. This is special and I really appreciate what this team did.”

The chanting began with still about 3 minutes left to play, with the game already decided as the Raptors were down by double figures. The chants were a tremendous show of respect to a team that made history with its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in franchise history.

The cheers and celebrations, despite the loss, went on well after the final buzzer had sounded.

James, who now looks forward to his sixth straight NBA Finals either against defending champion Golden State Warriors or Oklahoma City Thunder, emphasized further his respect and admiration for the fans in the press confernece.

“It’s an unbelievable atmosphere. These fans, they mean a lot to their team and I think the team gave everything they could throughout this whole season,” he said.

“To get to the places they’ve never been before, to get to the Eastern Conference Finals, and to win two games on their home floor as well in front of their fans throughout this conference finals.”

“It just showed their appreciation. They were unbelievable all season long all the way to this point, and they definitely showed that towards the end of the game, all the way throughout,” he added. – Rappler.com

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