Raptors fans wait outside Toronto's St. Regis Hotel to boo the Golden State Warriors
Polite as we're reputed to be, Canadians are a competitive lot — and all is fair in love and war... including setting off fireworks outside a hotel at 3 a.m. to mess with an opponent.
Call it the Drake effect.
It's no secret at this point that the Golden State Warriors are staying at Toronto's luxurious St. Regis Hotel for the first of their two away games against the Raptors in the NBA Finals this week.
Fans of both teams have been camped out in front of the building since Wednesday afternoon hoping to catch a glimpse of big-name ballers like Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant.
Some locals have been asking for autographs and pictures with players, like Klay Thompson, who've taken the time to come over and say hi.
Others — a lot of them — have taken to razzing players as they enter and exit the hotel, presumably in an attempt to shake them ahead of tonight's Game 1.
Toronto Police had to be on hand just to help the Oakland, California-based team's bus pull out of the hotel parking lot this morning.
In a widely-shared Snapchat clip posted to Instagram Thursday morning, someone can be seen setting off fireworks outside the hotel where the Warriors are staying.
"3am Fireworks For @Warriors," wrote 6ixbuzzTV in sharing the video, which features a man screaming "F*ck Steph Curry!" as he runs from the fireworks as they go off.
In a video posted to the private Instagram account @areacode416ix, a fan calls out to Warriors coach Steve Kerr as he walks into the hotel.
"Steve!" he says. "Raps in five or six? Raps in five or six?"
Kerr, ever the sport, jokes back that "it might take eight."
The Warriors take on the Raptors at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena for Game 1 of the NBA Finals — the first ever outside the U.S. — this evening at 9 p.m.
Be prepared for a little bit of friendly chaos.
Ronald Quitoriano
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