The Following Four Articles are by:

Westview CSS Students.

Bianca Andreescu’s Road to Victory

Alyson Mac, Student Reporter Dedicated Teacher - Marco Petrozzi

NEW YORK- On September 7th 2019, Bianca Andreescu, a Canadian teen, had won the Grand Slam Singles Title against Serena Williams at the U.S. Open Women’s Final. She became the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam title.

After winning the Orange Bowl at 15, Bianca dreamt about playing at the U.S. Open. “I’ve been dreaming of this moment for the longest time,'' said Andreescu. She mentally prepared herself every day with a visualization exercise. She would visualize about the 5 million dollar cheque the winner would receive.

Prior to her U.S Open match, Andreescu studied some of the highlights of the game Serena had lost against Naomi Osaka. After losing the U.S. Open, Serena felt that she could have done much better and stated, “I honestly didn’t play my best today. I could have played better. That’s the only solace that I can take right now.”

Fans across Canada were very proud of Bianca Andreescu. People were amazed how she recovered from three months of rehab after tearing her rotator cuff. She quickly became the first Canadian woman in half a century to win the Rogers Cup, and shortly after, became the first ever Canadian to win the Grand Slam title, completing the feat against the tennis legend, Serena Williams.

Toronto for the Win!

Mikayla- Student Reporter Dedicated Teacher - Marco Petrozzi

OAKLAND- On June 14th, 2019, the Toronto Raptors won the NBA Championship after defeating the Goldenstate Warriors by a score of 114-110. The game six victory took place in Oakland’s Oracle Arena in front of a sold out audience.

Kawhi Leonard, Toronto’s star player who scored 22 points in game 6, was named Finals MVP after the game. This is the second time he received this prestigious honour, with the first occurring early on in his career in San Antonio. Kyle Lowry, who scored 26 points in game 6, struggled to find words to describe the feeling after the big victory. “It’s surreal. I played basketball to provide for these two!” he said, gesturing to his two sons by his side. “Toronto- Canada! We brought it home baby!”

This historic victory marks the first time that a team outside the United States of America won the NBA Championship. “This is what I play basketball for” stated Kawhi Leonard after the game. “I’m happy that my hard work finally paid off.” When asked if the finals MVP was deciding to stay in Toronto for the upcoming season, Leonard was still unsure of his decision. “I have to enjoy this with my teammates and coaches. I will have to think about that later.”

The Toronto Raptors, the only active Canadian franchise in the NBA, became a team that not only represented the city of Toronto, but the entire country of Canada as well. Drake, a Canadian rapper and super fan of the team, later announced on Instagram that he will release two singles in celebration of the Raptors’ success. This Raptors’ historic run to the finals gave the NBA a unique experience. The fan base for the Raptors extended beyond the man made borders of the city and instead stretched across the country, which will impact Canada’s basketball program for many years to come.

The Underdog Toronto Raptors Finally Win the NBA Championship!

Nandani Devi R.- Student Reporter Dedicated Teacher - Marco Petrozzi

OAKLAND - The Toronto Raptors made history on June 13, 2019, as they won their first NBA Championship after their Game 6 victory at Oracle Arena. They became the first-ever Canadian team to secure the honour.

The Raptors’ team had a built-up motivation from years of playing in the NBA playoffs and it was clear that they all had the same dream: to win Canada’s first title. Kyle Lowry, who played an instrumental role for the team, was euphoric about the win. Lowry stated, “Words can’t explain how I feel. It’s been a long, long time; 13 years of NBA basketball, couple years of college, a couple years of high school basketball. And to be able to say I’m a world champion, it makes me feel great.” Throughout the NBA playoffs, it was clear Lowry was not the only player on the team dreaming about this victory.

The Toronto Raptors won 16 out of their 24 playoff games, due to their hard work and dedication. Masai Ujiri, president of basketball operations of the Toronto Raptors and former player for the team, showed a lot of commitment to the team and enthusiasm throughout the season. Ujiri stated, “I’m going to fight for my team. We want to compete. We want to win. We want to win in Toronto. We want to be a winning team. We want to be relevant out there. Our end goal is to win a championship.”

This victory was celebrated by millions of people in Canada and will inspire generations of Canadians to come. The four playoff series showed Canada that winning is always possible with enough effort. This victory will hopefully help foster future scholarships, education and careers in Canadian basketball, which will help expand the program across this beautiful country.

The Raptors’ Road to Conquest

Ibrahim A.- News Reporter Dedicated Teacher - Marco Petrozzi

TORONTO – On Thursday June 14th, 2019, the Toronto Raptors defeated the reigning NBA Champions, the Goldenstate Warriors, in a 4-2 playoff series victory to become Canada’s first NBA championship team. Thousands of Canadians cheered on the team at Jurassic Park, celebrating perhaps the greatest sports win in Canadian basketball history.

Prior to this season, many believed that the Raptors’ organization was stuck in a ditch, with nowhere to climb out of. The firing of their head coach, Dwayne Casey, and the trade of a Toronto icon, DeMar DeRozan, was a gamble that Raptors’ president Masai Ujiri decided to take. “This is a stage I’ve wanted all my life” Ujiri said. “The pieces finally fell into place and I could not be happier.” Masai Ujiri figured it out. He calculated all the odds of making it to the playoffs finals, as if it were a simple math equation. He took risks, and worked hard to reach the Promised Land; The NBA finals.

The Raptors’ win was not completely due to Masai Ujiri. The hard work and rigorous training the players had gone through amped up their physical and mental state. With the addition of Nick Nurse, the new head coach of the Raptors, the team began to play a more professional style of basketball. The DeRozan trade to San Antonio for Kawhi Leonard was simply the move that pushed the team over the top, which helped pave their path towards the NBA finals. As all the puzzle pieces began to fall into place, the Raptors’ players formed together into a force that NBA had to reckon with all season long.

The acquiring of certain players and the tactical maneuvering within the off-season all played major roles in the Raptors’ victory. After the previous season, Ujiri knew what the team needed to do differently. It was these decisions that he magically pulled off that add to his aura as the NBA tactical genius. Between his moves and the Raptors’ players putting it all together on the court, Canadian basketball will forever be influenced by this historic championship win.

Historic Canadian Sports Victories