When the Toronto Raptors earned a spot in their first ever NBA Finals appearance, Shariq Daudi acted swiftly.

The Mississauga native who has been living in United Arab Emirates since 2008 immediately bought a ticket to Toronto for Game 1 Thursday — shelling over $1,300 for a seat in the upper bowl of Scotiabank Arena and taking the pain of flying about three times the distance the Golden State Warriors are taking to play here.

Because, simply put, that’s what any lifelong fan would do given the opportunity of a lifetime.

“I’m really proud of how far we have gotten to this point. I’m coming down just to feel what it’s like to have a favorite sports team be in a final,” said Daudi in an email Tuesday night as he and cousin Ahmer were en route to Toronto via London.

“Between the Leafs and the Raptors, I have never had the chance to be a part of something like this. I’m 44 so it has been a long wait.”

Daudi, who works as a head of financial planning for Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi, said he’s had to tuck himself and the kids into bed early for years, in order to be able to wake up at 3:30 a.m. to catch Raptors games on NBA League Pass.

His oldest son, who is 14, sometimes watches games with him while his wife steers clear as long as the game’s excitement doesn’t disturb the rest of the family.

Being in a different time zone is a hassle for many Raptors fans who live abroad and want to catch the action live.

Manu Ravven, a political science and history teacher in Germany, said he’s ready to wake up at 3 a.m. for Thursday’s game (Friday in his case), just like he’s done in the past.

“I usually do some sleep before and hopefully after the game,” he said, noting his 12-year-old son sometimes tags along but mostly falls asleep again by half time.

“Clock goes off for tip-off, and with the late games in the Finals I guess I can go to school directly.”

In Daudi’s experience, nothing is worse than sacrificing his sleep to watch the game and the Raptors lose a heartbreaker. He remembers, for instance, that last-second loss against Charlotte Hornets when Jeremy Lamb’s desperation heave went in at the buzzer. “It made for a really bad rest-of-day,” he said.

Another difficult part of being a Raptors fan in Abu Dhabi is that there aren’t many other fans to “rub shoulders” with, either at a bar or on the street, said Daudi, noting it’s only his immediate family and his cousin who can share the joy.

Having followed the team since its inception in 1995, the lowest point for him was the Vince Carter’s miss in 2001 Conference Semifinal Game 7 against Philadelphia 76ers. And his highest point, as it turns out, is “The Shot” (Kawhi Leonard’s four-bounce bucket that sent the 76ers home a couple of weeks ago).

“It felt like sweet revenge. That high was the best I’ve ever had as a fan,” he said.

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Daudi is coming in with limited expectations, but hopes Raptors players can step up and stand their ground against the champions. He predicts Raptors winning in seven games, and only if things fall their way.

“And if (Danny) Green gets going, watch out,” he said.

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