Article content

If you’re looking for someone to truly gauge the magnitude of a sports championship, Alex McKechnie is a pretty solid choice. One of the world’s leading physiotherapists, he was around for five NBA crowns in a decade with the Los Angeles Lakers and then this past season with the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors’ win, he insisted over the phone Monday, was without comparison.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Patrick Johnston: Raptors' physio wizard to bring NBA championship home to Vancouver Back to video

There was the drama of the Raptors’ run to the 2019 NBA Championship, the defeat of a dynasty in the Warriors in the Finals and the added twist of it being the first Canadian NBA team to win it all.

“The energy was infectious,” he said of what he felt in Toronto, be it from the stands at Scotiabank Arena or on the streets of the Big Smoke.

Kawhi Leonard’s basket to win the second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers was so emblematic of the Raptors’ run that McKechnie brought it up himself. The seconds-long drama of the ball hitting the rim, then bouncing four times before falling through the hoop, followed by the explosion of euphoria, won’t soon be forgotten by those who were there.