WARMINGTON: Raptors Superfan living the dream
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It’s the stuff of dreams, and Nav Bhatia is proudly living his.
“For me it’s all a dream come true,” said the Toronto Raptors Superfan.
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Coming to Canada with nothing in his pockets who couldn’t get a car salesman job but went on to own several dealerships, Bhatia knows about achieving big dreams.
A basketball win or loss Monday will not change that.
The way he looks at it, Raptors fans have already won.
“The Raptors have brought all of Canada together and that is an achievement on it’s own,” said the owner of Mississauga Hyundai who has never missed a Raptors home game and been to many on the road too.
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The biggest road game was Friday night in Oakland where two things happened he will never forget: The Raptors won Game 4 decisively to take a commanding 3-1 NBA series finals lead which will give them a chance to win the NBA title on home turf at the Scotiabank Arena.
But it was what happened after the game that Bhatia says will stay with him forever.
All of the Raptors fans who went south to support the team on the road gathered in the Oracle Arena and as a group celebrated.
It was a Canadian invasion.
“It was beautiful,” said Bhatia.
“It was 2,000 of us singing Oh Canada and enjoying the moment. We are all so proud to be Canadians.”
At one point the crowd lifted Bhatia up on their shoulders — a moment captured on his cellphone camera by fellow Game One fan Stick Sturino who also went out to California.
“This is 24 years in the making,” said Sturino, an Etobicoke realtor. “Fifteen down. One to go.”
Raptors fans, old and new, can just taste it.
“Winning the championship is what fans have dreamed of the whole time and now we are just one win away,” said Bhatia.
That could come Monday.
Toronto Police are developing plans but fans have, for the most part, been respectful, a crime-free celebration is expected if it happens.
Just lots of cheering, high fives, singing and hugs.
However Bhatia is well aware they have not won anything yet.
“The Golden State Warriors are a great team. They are the champions and they will fight,” said Bhatia.
“The Warriors fans are also terrific. They have shown us nothing but love.”
Except for the part owner of the team who shoved Kyle Lowry of course.
“It was just one incident,” said Bhatia.
“The overall experience has been positive.”
This was the same approach he took at the end of the Milwaukee Bucks Eastern Conference Finals series when one fan took to Twitter to racially belittle Bhatia, known for his famous Turban.
The fan apologized for the hurtful words and Bhatia forgave him right away.
In fact when the Raptors visit Milwaukee next year Bhatia is going to take the man out for dinner.
The only question remaining is will it be as Superfan of the NBA champions?
Either way Nav Bhatia said he will enjoy every minute of this “wild ride” in the spring of 2019.
“We all savouring every second of it,” said Bhatia.
“We are living the dream.”
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