It wasn’t the same. It couldn’t be, of course, because nothing is.
Last year the Toronto Raptors won a title while fans watched across the country. Millions crammed together — in their homes, in restaurants and in bars, on the streets and in the arena, and then finally at the championship parade, for hours. The parade lasted so long that Masai Ujiri’s wife jumped out of the convertible after three hours so she could buy burgers for their kids, and by the time she came back the car had barely moved.
The Toronto Raptors won the last NBA title before the world changed, maybe forever.