Miami Heat's Kelly Olynyk Grew Up In Toronto & Loves The Raptors
It's hard to not be a fan of the Raptors if you grew up in Toronto. Miami Heat's Kelly Olynyk still cheers on his home team.
The Toronto native, who never forgot his roots, is a lifelong fan of the Raptors, even going as far as to cite them as an inspiration.
Editor's Choice: Ontario’s New Haunted Escape Trail Opens Next Month & It's Like Being In A Horror Movie
“
The thing was that I liked them all. I didn’t have one favorite player.
Kelly Olynyk
Olynyk, who was born and raised in Scarborough, is now a star of the Miami Heat who will be playing in the NBA finals this week.
During a 2013 interview with the Boston Herald, the player revealed that the Vince Carter era Raptors had meant the world to him growing up and he even knew them all by name.
When asked if he could tie in his inspiration with basketball to the Raptors, he stated "Easily you could, I would say."
“To have something like that in your backyard? A team the kids can look up to, and aspire to? Model themselves after and see that it’s right there in your backyard, and it’s possible and it’s a dream? It gives kids fuel, and energy, and desire and aspirations to be at that level."
The Miami player also showed his love for the team by tweeting out his congratulations to the Raptors after they became NBA champions last June.
"Congrats to the Raps, inspiring the youth back home wit this one for sure," he tweeted.