Connor McDavid, born in Richmond Hill in 1997, raised in Aurora.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, born in Toronto in 1998, raised in Hamilton.
Two of the world’s greatest athletes — one the most dynamic in his sport, one on a short list of the best in his global sport — on their way home for a rare appearance.
SGA playing at the Scotiabank Arena against the Raptors on Friday night. McDavid playing on Saturday night at Scotiabank in the featured matchup on Hockey Night In Canada.
Two nights to view two Toronto home teams heading in opposite directions while, at the same time, getting a look at incomparable athletes coming home for the rare opportunity to play in Toronto. You can call it “Wow Canada Week” — they are their own sporting anthem, playing back to back, great and greater.
A McDavid visit home is always something to cherish, but the scale titled somewhat last December when Gilgeous-Alexander was voted Canada’s athlete of the year. Quite likely, McDavid was the second choice. The way the schedules work out, both in the NBA and the NHL, the teams from the west don’t come east all that often. It’s usually one game a year in Toronto for McDavid, one game a year for SGA.
In the past, that didn’t seem to matter as much as it does now, although any McDavid-Auston Matthews matchup is something worth celebrating. The previous SGA appearances at Scotiabank were hardly big-ticket items.
Before this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder were mostly an NBA team worth ignoring. They weren’t going anywhere. They were just there. They haven’t won a playoff round in seven seasons. And when the Thunder arrived in Toronto for their only appearance last season, they had 34 wins, the Raptors 33. Neither team seemed to matter as whole lot in the star-driven NBA.
This year, though, so much has changed. The Thunder have the best record in the Western Conference. They have the second-most wins in the NBA. If it wasn’t for Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic — the likely NBA MVP favourites — SGA would be garnering a whole lot more MVP conversation this season.
Steve Nash won two NBA MVP awards, putting him on a pedestal that may never be matched in Canadian sports, but there are those who believe that what SGA is doing this season tops anything Nash managed in his Hall of Fame career.
About The Author
Leave a Reply