How a Toronto cop helped Raptors Superfan Nav Bhatia avoid showing up late for the first time ever (VIDEO)
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“I have never missed a game. I have never been late for a game. And I have never left a game early.
“But, I almost did one game.”
Those are the words of Raptors Superfan Nav Bhatia, who spoke with Daily Hive from his Toronto-area home before the NBA Finals tip off this week.
A legend on and off the court, as a viral 15-tweet thread proved this week, Bhatia has never missed a Raptors game since they entered the league in 1995.
That’s 24 years sitting courtside for Bhatia, who immigrated from India in 1984 with not much money. He worked hard, was successful, and went on to own multiple car dealerships in Toronto.
When it comes to his Raptors fandom, the Superfan has a perfect record, though he nearly committed a cardinal sin.
He was almost late.
Watch Nav tell the story in the video above.
Running late and stuck in traffic on Queen Elizabeth Way years ago, Nav was desperate. He did something that he knew was wrong.
“One game, you know how the traffic is on the QEW, the traffic was [heavy], and I decided to do something wrong. Very wrong!” he explained.
“I drove on the shoulder.
“I almost made it, and what did I see? I saw a cop with the lights [on] behind me. [He] stopped me.”
Busted.
“He said ‘why did you do that?’ I said ‘I’m sorry.’
“Then he said ‘oh, aren’t you Nav Bhatia, the Superfan?”
What comes next is a beautiful thing.
“He said ‘I know you’re running late right now. Don’t do it again. I’m going to let you go now, and I’m going to escort you. And he escorted me to Air Canada Centre.”
Not even Drake would get a police escort in that situation.
Humble and charitable, Nav seemed slightly embarrassed telling the story. Even though he got away with it, he knows what he did was wrong.
“I don’t do it anymore,” he said. “I leave two hours before the game now.”
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