Yellowknife goes Raptors crazy with signs, website

“We the North,” proclaimed digital signs operated by the City of Yellowknife, the day after the Toronto Raptors won the NBA Championship for Canada.

By mid-morning on Friday, City-operated signs read “congrats, Raptors!” while the City of Yellowknife’s website proudly sported a “We the North” background – the team’s slogan since 2014, particularly apt in the actual North.

The Raptors beat Golden State 114-110 in Oakland on Thursday to win the championship in six games.

For weeks, confused relatives have been asking residents if Danny Green is actually “from Yellowknife” – following Raptors announcer Matt Devlin’s habit of appending Canadian city names to three-point shots.

So far, that remains the city’s closest connection to Toronto’s festivities, though Cabin Radio has begun campaigning for Yellowknife to host the trophy at a date in the near future.

At the moment, a parade is planned to begin in downtown Toronto at 10am ET on Monday.

Assuming the parade bus remains in Canada to give the maximum number of fans a glimpse, and then travels at an average speed of 20 kph allowing for occasional stops, Cabin Radio estimates it should reach Yellowknife on June 27.

Organizers could not immediately confirm Yellowknife is on the parade route.

Meanwhile, city councillors denied they are planning to change next year’s televised special in Yellowknife to Basketball Day in Canada.