Black Canadian Men Shine in the 2025 NBA Finals

The NBA has been a reliable source of thrills long before superstars like Carter, Iverson, Jordan, Curry, and James took to the court. But the NBA playoffs are a surefire bet for heartbreaking upsets, devastating injuries, and how-did-they-pull-that-off wins! This year’s NBA finals featuring the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers did not disappoint.

Of course, Canada comes first. But just because our beloved Toronto Raptors did not make the playoffs (We the North!), didn’t mean we didn’t still want to tune in. But let’s face it, watching sports is far more engrossing when you’ve got skin in the game. So we decided to root for the second and even third best options.

What did that look like? Well, given that our fearless leader runs her beloved institute, Slavery North, out of Massachusetts, we decided to root for the reigning champs, the Boston Celtics. But even the combined skills and talent of Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Jayson Tatum couldn’t tame Jalen Brunson, once-Raptor O.G. Anunoby, and the New York Knicks, especially after Tatum’s devastating Achilles injury in game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. But we don’t give up that easily and since the enemy of my enemy is my friend (and all that), we moved on to root against the Knicks, meaning to root for the not-so-little team that could, the Indiana Pacers. Yes ‘Cers!

Watching this young Indiana team was a revelation, from the acrobatic spin moves of once-Raptor “Spicy P” (aka Pascal Siakam), to Andrew Nembhard’s dazzling D and foot speed, to T.J. McConnell’s steals, to Tyrese Haliburton’s guts, leadership, and incredible shots from – well –  anywhere. The Pacers were incredible to watch, in part because they behave like a team and they played every game for a full 48 minutes (hence their thrilling comebacks).

But with the league MVP, S.G.A. (aka Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) repping the Thunder, the Pacers had an uphill battle, especially after Haliburton succumbed to the same horrible injury as Tatum in the first quarter of game seven (and this after scoring nine points from three-pointers in the first five minutes of the first quarter!). We tip our hats to the incredible S.G.A. who also won the NBA Finals MVP trophy, joining a small and elite group with the likes of James, Johnson, and Jordan and becoming the first Canuck to earn this amazing honour!

Although the Thunder brought it home in seven, we’re still cheering for the brilliant black Canadian men who dazzled on the world’s biggest basketball stage this year and we’re feeling more than hopeful for the next FIBA championship. So, take a bow Luguentz Dort (Montreal, Quebec), Bennedict Mathurin (Montreal, Quebec), Andrew Nembhard (Aurora, Ontario), and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Toronto, Ontario). We see you, shining!