All eyes in Canada seem to be on the Toronto Raptors and Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. And related Google searches give us a glimpse of what’s been on Canadian and American fans’ minds in the meantime.
Besides the obvious searches, such as where you can watch the games and when, other popular queries are: “Where does Kawhi live in Toronto?” and “How much does it cost to put up a billboard?”
According to Google, top questions for people searching “Toronto” and “Oakland” included “How long is the flight from Toronto to Oakland?” and “Who were the Raptors before Toronto?”
The answer to that last one, by the way, is no one. The Raptors have been in Toronto since the franchise joined the NBA in 1995.
- For Google’s full list of top searches, scroll to the bottom
And in the 24 hours after Monday’s Game 5, when it came to Canadian rapper and Raptors’ global brand ambassador Drake, people in Oakland were Googling his age and who he’s trolling on the Warriors squad.
Californians even looking up, “how much does it cost to put up a billboard?”
The last one is likely people looking to troll back Toronto after New Balance posted a billboard ad in Oakland featuring Toronto star Kawhi Leonard, which read: “The King of the North is coming.”
The Drake-centric searches make sense since Champagne Papi has been trolling the Warriors since Game 1, when he wore a throwback Raptors jersey from when Steph Curry’s father Dell played in Toronto.
His courtside antics have irked some fans but led to a grand swell of popularity and memes.
Canada’s favourite sideliner also wore a shirt referencing the film “Home Alone” that read, “Where’s Kevin?” in reference to then-sidelined, injured Golden State Warriors player Kevin Durant.
The Dub Nation, as Warriors’ fans are known, is also asking about Drake’s real name and who he brings to the games. But people have also taken to Google to figure out more about Toronto.
The top search topics for Toronto Raptors and Oakland were “When was the last time the Raptors were in the finals?” and “How much was a ticket for Raptors tonight?”
The answer to the first question is a solid never -- although they have come close a handful of times. And as for the second? Although tickets are sold out for a potential Game 7 in the Scotiabank Arena, the cheapest tickets for Game 1 in the nosebleed 300s section went for about CAD$1,970 on the ticket reseller site StubHub.
But one of the most noteworthy searches was: “Why are the Raptors in the NBA?”
First off, rude. Second, the Raptors are in the NBA because We The North and we earned it.
After Thursday’s game -- where Toronto hopes to clinch the series 4-2 -- Canadians can only hope the top search will be: “Where in Toronto is the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy held?”
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These are the top questions about Drake from Oakland, past 24 hours:
- how old is Drake
- who is Drake trolling the warriors
- how much does it cost to put up a billboard
- who does Drake take with him to the Raptor’s games
- why do they call Drake Aubrey
Top questions about Toronto, Oakland:
- where does Kawhi live in Toronto
- why is Toronto called 6
- how long is the flight from Toronto to Oakland
- who were the raptors before Toronto
- why is Toronto’s basketball team called the raptors
Top questions about the Toronto Raptors, Oakland:
- when was the last time the raptors were in the finals
- why are the raptors in the NBA
- how long have the raptors been in the NBA
- when did the raptors score 105 game
- what bay area radio station is the Warriors’ game on
- how much was a ticket for raptors tonight
