The Toronto Raptors played game two of the championships last night. It is the first time the team got to this level. They are playing against the Golden State Warriors who have won the championships five times. Three times in the last four years.
I saw a meme about the Raptors that really touched me. It listed the players and what their draft pick was. Kyle Lowry (pick #24), Jeremy Lin (undrafted), Fred Van Fleet (undrafted), Danny Green (pick #48), Norman Powell (pick #46), Pat McCaw (pick #38), Kawhi Leonard (pick #15), Pascal Siakam (pick #27), Marc Gasol (pick #48) and Serge Ibaka (pick #24).
Championship teams are not always made up of the best of the best. Those who were always chosen first. They consist of people who never give up. People with grit. People who try again and again. People who practice until they are exhausted. People who take the lesson from the loss. People who know that anything can happen if they believe.
As we watch the final series play out, may we remember that we don’t start the journey knowing the destination. But we prepare for that buzzer beater shot every hour and every day that we travel along our path.
It doesn’t matter what the world thinks. It matters what we think of ourselves. We are champions.