Raptors forward Chris Boucher, the first Canadian to win an NBA title while on a Canadian team, brought the championship trophy home to Montreal to inspire kids like him.
It’s common in professional sports for athletes to play for teams representing states or cities they didn’t grow up in, and since the Raptors are the only Canadian team in a league of American teams, the Raptors are home to a lot of American players, as well as players who hail from other countries.
Boucher is the sole Canadian on the team. He grew up in Montreal, and received a hero’s welcome from fans this week when he returned to his hometown. Hundreds of fans filled the court he played on as a kid, cheering as he brought the trophy out.
It’s a satisfying moment on what has been a difficult journey for Boucher. He dropped out of high school as a teenager and was working as a dishwasher when a Quebec coach noticed his talents on the court.
His mother, Mary MacVane, told CTV News Montreal that Boucher never gave up.
“He fight back through injury, pain, suffering, headache, you name it, struggle, he never gave up,” MacVane said. “He’s a resilient kid and I'm very proud of him.”
Boucher played 28 regular season games and two playoff games this past season with the Raptors, as they defeated Boucher’s previous team, the Golden State Warriors, to bring home the title in a franchise first. Boucher was a free agent with the Golden State Warriors the previous season when they won, although he did not play in the playoffs.
Boucher said that he brought the trophy home in the hopes that it could inspire basketball-loving kids in Montreal to shoot for the stars when they’re shooting hoops.
“Maybe one day one of these kids are going to come back and be like, ‘hey, I made it because you came and showed me.’ That would be the best thing for me,” Boucher said. “I just hope they see that it's possible and I just want to be an eye-opener for these kids.”
More Canadians have been entering the NBA as of late. A record-breaking draft this year saw six Canadians drafted, the most players picked from any country outside the United States in a single draft. With the inspiration provided by the Raptors and by players like Boucher, that number could grow in the future.
