Check out the updated Raptors Championship Parade details

The Raptors are 2019 NBA Champions, which means, hey, Toronto is having a parade!

Using the ol’ W5H technique, we’re going to summarize and outline a bunch of the details so everyone out there in the city (and beyond) can get in on the celebration.

Who?

Again, the Toronto Raptors, a professional basketball organization based on Canada, a franchise that has been in existence for 24 years, just won the 2019 NBA Championship.

The team features Kyle Lowry, Kawhi Leonard, Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, Pascal Siakam, Danny Green, Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell, and more. Their head coach is Nick Nurse. They defeated the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors in six games to win the 2019 NBA title. It is very much worth celebrating.

What?

Yeah, I know, the Raptors won the NBA title. It sounds made up, but it happened. And we’re having a parade. We don’t have to overthink this. It’s going down.

When?

This Monday, June 17, is the day for the fest. The whole thing kicks off at 10am, leading to a rally that will begin at 12:30pm (and ostensibly end at 1:30pm). Will it be a scene? It will be a scene.

Where?

The parade gets rolling at Exhibition Place — speculation suggests it would begin near the Raptors’ training facility, the OVO Athletic Centre — but it will be hard to miss a massive parade departing from the Prince’s Gates at the east end of the Exhibition Place grounds.

After departing, expect a route along Lake Shore Boulevard West (heading east), then up York Street and University Avenue, followed by a decamping at Nathan Phillips Square, the famous civic gathering place in front of City Hall.

Why?

Are you even listening to me? The Raptors won the NBA title!

How?

Well, there’s a discussion to have here about tactics, how the Raptors were able to maximize their defensive versatility so as to slow the Warriors attack while hunting mismatches on offense. Obviously injuries also played a part, with both Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson — two big stars — along with Kevon Looney of the Warriors missing games in the series. It’s also worth noting the sustained level of excellence of the Raptors’ Kawhi Leonard. Those would be the primary things to consider when thinking about how the Raptors got it done.

Ah, but you want to know about the parade. Thanks to a bunch of road closures in Exhibition Place, then along Lake Shore Boulevard West, York Street, and University Avenue, the whole procession will coast along to its final destination, as previously mentioned in the Where? section.

What’s more: Bay Street, Queen Street West, University Avenue, Armoury Street, Chestnut Street, and Elizabeth Street will be fully closed or restricted starting at around 9am to facilitate the large gathering of Raptors fans and Torontonians sure to come to the Square.

Again, the Raptors are the 2019 NBA Champions and we’re having a parade — and a dang party!