It’s hard to remember an NBA Finals with more mutual respect than in 2019. Save for a brief, and seemingly good-natured bit of banter between Kevin Durant and Fred VanVleet, the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors showed nothing but respect for each other as they battled for the league’s top prize.
It made the devastating injuries suffered in the series that much more painful. When Durant suffered a ruptured Achilles in Game 5, the entire Raptors team fell silent, and angrily stopped the home fans who were cheering.