How The Whole Raptors Organisation Arranged Toronto Tribute To Pascal Siakam’s Return.
This is the story of a single night as well as seven seasons. A tale of 628 people who worked along with the NBA team he played for seven seasons to wear his jersey again on a particular night, and of one guy who was supposed to go seminary school but ended up accompanying a basketball camp when he was eleven years old.
It carried over the idea from an article Siakam penned for the Player’s Tribune after his trade. In it, he said that when he first began playing for the Raptors, he would stealthily spend a few seconds while the national anthem was playing, looking over the crowd for shirts bearing his number, 43. Although Siakam was instrumental in the Raptors G League affiliate, Raptors 905, earning a championship in 2017, it took some time for supporters of the parent team to get to know him. He lost control of himself the moment he saw his jersey for the first time.
He wrote, “There you go if you’ve ever wondered why Pascal looks like he’s about to fist pump during the anthem one night as a rookie.”
Every team has a different method for handling homecoming. When someone returns, there’s always more to be had—especially if they’ve been there for a while. When Kyle Lowry or DeMar DeRozan return to Toronto, they hang out with security and arena employees, making time to catch up with almost everyone who was a part of their community in the city. The Raptors have experienced their fair share of heartfelt moments, with memorable video montages typically playing over the jumbotron during public ceremonies for first-time returns.
Similar to when, in 2014, Vince Carter unexpectedly turned the jeers into applause after years of returning to a chorus of boos, as if the supporters had all decided at once that enough was enough. Carter wept, as did all the others. As the lights in the arena went out, Kawhi Leonard received his ring and a stylish video treatment that featured his massive glowing footsteps outlining on the floor, mimicking the ones he made to make The Shot. This month, Siakam and Fred VanVleet returned to the Raptors within a span of less than a week.
With an orchestral tug on the heartstrings, the Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) organisation was part of an homage that extended beyond the jumbotron.
The Raptors’ senior brand manager, Taylor Mansillo, stated over the phone the morning after the game, “We saw Pascal’s comment on the idea of coming to our venue and seeing his number, and it slowly going away, and we wanted him to know that he had such an impact on our team, our city, and our country, that even though the number might fade after many years, it’s still near and dear in our heart.”
