From a makeshift home court, to empty seats, to finding a market fit in a hockey town, to players not wanting to play in Canada – it’s extremely hard not to find inspiration in what the Toronto Raptors are doing.
Tomorrow will mark the biggest series in Toronto Raptors history. For the first time ever, they have made it to the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors – a true David vs Goliath type event! This historic moment is a soft reminder of how important hard work and persistence is, and how each building block over the years has led to this series.
When the Raptors won Game 6 versus the Bucks, the tweet the team posted after the game really hit me:
How powerful is that?
When you really break it down, this tweet reminds us of a very important reality in business – SUCCESS TAKES TIME! So, in combination with persistence, patience is critical.
Most successful businesses take years to build and evolve. To most, the very best seem like overnight successes, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is that before success was achieved there was years of high highs, low lows and relentless hard work, day after day, without the loss of enthusiasm or commitment. It’s an important lesson about how focus and faith give organizations the energy to confront the brutal truths of failure in order to learn, build and progress, step by step, for 24 years.
Those who make it through, like the Raps, truly deserve the spotlight. It is just so inspiring to see the positive impact a relentless committed organization can have on a city and the game of basketball.
Just like some of the greatest entrepreneurs who started off in their garage, let’s reminisce and never forget where we started and how far we’ve come:
1995 
2019
#WeTheNorth #GoRaps