For several years, America’s attention has been fixated on our Southern border. But in the end, the threat came from the North. We the North to be specific. In an NBA finals that physically battered the threepeat-seeking defending champions so completely that it, at times, felt like a lost season of Game of Thrones, Toronto became unlikely champions, thrilling a city and a nation that found itself putting hockey on ice (at least until after the parade). And true to their national stereotype, the Toronto Raptor’s seemed really, well, nice. While we Bay Area fans love our Warriors, there was no sense of the ill will fans usually harbor for championship opponents. And so I say, congrats to the Raptors, the city of Toronto, and all Canadians. (Except Drake.)

+ The Season: “A nomadic former G League coach, a daring front office, untested youngsters, vets who had never experienced this kind of pressure before and a stoic superstar.” SI: We The Champs: Kawhi, Masai and the Legend of the 2019 Raptors. (Bonus: we don’t have to suffer through a public brouhaha over whether or not the team will accept an invitation to the White House…)

+ The Moment: It was already an instantly iconic photo. But consider the fact that this buzzer beating bounce led to an NBA Championship. It should be the new Canadian flag.

+ Don’t worry. American influence is still playing a major role up North. “Entering Thursday’s game, the Raptors had made more than 12 3-pointers in 54 games, including twice during the finals, and McDonald’s has given away more than two million orders of fries.” NYT: Hey, Raptors Fans, You Want Fries With Those 3-Pointers?

+ Here’s more from the Ringer.