Mr. Speaker, at a YMCA, in 1891, a Canadian named James Naismith invented the game of basketball.
Yesterday night, 128 years later, a Canadian team, our Toronto Raptors, brought the NBA championship home. There were doubters and cynics, but there was also a steely resolve, the resolve of die-hard fans and ones more recently on the bandwagon, who got on board in Jurassic Park from coast to coast to coast in this country and beyond. They got on board to cheer the most diverse team, representing the most diverse city for the most diverse nation on earth.
From Kawhi to Kyle, from Pascal to Serge, from Marc to the indefatigable, toothless Freddy V., this team, our Raptors, showed basketball fans around the world that we do not understand the meaning of the word “quit”, and that when we sing about being the true north strong and free, we mean it.
I thank the Raptors for an incredible run and what is going to be an amazing parade on Monday, and I say, “Let's go Raptors!”