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Raptors Parade 2019: Date, Time, Route and Latest Weather Forecast Report
June 17, 2019
The Toronto Raptors are 2019 NBA champions, and the capital of Ontario is ready for another celebration on the downtown streets.
Immediately after the buzzer sounded on Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, Raptors fans flooded Yonge-Dundas Square to commemorate the franchise's first-ever title. The hours-long elation was expected, given the city's championship drought.
Other than Toronto FC's memorable 2017 season, The Six hadn't watched a major professional team win a title since the Toronto Blue Jays earned back-to-back World Series titles in 1992-93.
But thanks to head coach Nick Nurse, Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and the rest of the Raptors, the party is just beginning.
Toronto Raptors Parade Info
Date: Monday, June 17
Time: 10 a.m. ET
TV: Sportsnet
Live stream: Sportsnet and CP24
Monday should be a pleasant day for a parade. According to Weather.com, the high is 65 degrees with a gentle breeze and only a 10 percent chance of precipitation.
Blake Murphy of The Athletic shared the details of what to expect during Toronto's victory celebration.
The team will be loaded onto open-air double-decker buses, and the parade will begin at Exhibition Place's Princes' Gates and is scheduled to arrive at Toronto City Hall at 12:30 p.m. ET. Nathan Phillips Square will contain the hour-long rally to follow.
And the streets are going to be packed.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment official Mike Bartlett said he anticipates between 1.5 and 2 million people will attend the parade, per Chris Fox and Joshua Freeman of CP24.
"We got a few surprises up our sleeves but we are going to leave some of that for [Monday]," he said, according to Fox. "I can guarantee you that each and every Toronto Raptor will be there as will our front office team."
The loudest cheers will likely materialize for Leonard and Kyle Lowry.
Leonard joined the Raptors via trade last offseason, forcing his way from the San Antonio Spurs to a new destination. He rewarded Toronto's faith despite being a potential one-year rental, averaging 28.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.2 blocks in the Finals to propel the Raps past the Golden State Warriors.
His arrival required the organization to send all-time scoring leader DeMar DeRozan to San Antonio, breaking up the memorable six-year stretch featuring him and Lowry.
After several years of subpar performances in the postseason, the five-time All-Star finally helped the Raptors win a title. The face of disappointing previous teams is now an NBA champion, and the city is ready to celebrate.
Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.