Pair of ex-Raptors win their first NBA championship

The Toronto Raptors were about as far away from an NBA title as you could be this year, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t have a connection or two to last night’s championship.

On Monday night, the Boston Celtics clinched their 18th NBA title and first since 2008, knocking off the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 to win it all on their home floor at TD Garden.

And while players like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum will get most of the headlines for fulfilling one part of their NBA storybooks, a pair of ex-Raptors also had the chance to win their first professional title.

Oshae Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk, each of whom once occupied roster spots for Toronto,  played a bit of time throughout the playoffs in the back half of Joe Mazzulla’s rotation. Brissett hit the floor in 10 playoff games for the Celtics, while Mykhailiuk played in eight this postseason.

Brissett, who played 19 games for Toronto in 2019-20, played three years for the Indiana Pacers before joining Boston this past season. Mykhailiuk, meanwhile, played 56 games for the Raptors in 2021-22 and played for the New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets before joining Boston.

And while neither player is likely ever to be an NBA star, both got their chance to lift and snag a photo with the NBA’s Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Undrafted out of Syracuse in 2019 and now NBA CHAMPION in Year 5… Oshae Brissett! pic.twitter.com/uBiMKSPJq4

— NBA (@NBA) June 18, 2024

Drafted 47th overall out of Kansas in 2018 and now NBA CHAMPION in Year 6… Svi Mykhailiuk! pic.twitter.com/AGYfizRtXN

— NBA (@NBA) June 18, 2024

Given the current state of the Raptors, it seems most likely that we’ll be writing these types of articles rather than the “Toronto wins its second NBA title” piece in the near future.

But speaking of the near future, the NBA Draft will be held on June 26 and 27, where Toronto will get a chance at possibly landing a player or two that could lead them a bit closer to that ultimate goal of winning another title.