Whether you are a longtime Toronto Raptors fan, or if you just jumped on the bandwagon, this was a pretty cool sight in Burnaby on Tuesday.
The Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy took a tour through Burnaby thanks to longtime local physiotherapist Alex McKechnie, director of sports science and assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors.
McKechnie was given a ride with the trophy on a Burnaby Fire Department truck, with several stops along the way, including Fortius Sport and Health. People got a chance to take photos and the NOW had a quick chat with McKechnie.
“I started my career in Burnaby, at Simon Fraser, and to bring it here is pretty special, to share it with people in Burnaby and with people in British Columbia, quite frankly,” he said. “In Canada, the Stanley Cup is probably the paramount trophy and certainly in the hockey world, but, outside of that, the NBA is pretty big. It’s worldwide. Our games are shown in China, India, Africa, worldwide.
“To win it as a Canadian with a Canadian team is pretty special.”
McKechnie got his start in the NBA through his work with the likes of Steve Nash and Shaquille O’Neal before joining the Lakers staff in 2000. In 2013, the Scottish-born New Westminster resident signed on with the Raptors. His techniques have garnered praise from numerous athletes, with McKechnie incorporating innovative strategies on core strength. He’s also been credited for helping the likes of Paul Kariya, Michelle Kwan, Jimmy Connors, Terrell Owens and Owen Hargreaves during his lengthy career, which began in 1974 as SFU’s head physiotherapist.
With the Lakers, McKechnie has five NBA championship rings. He has been the driving force in Toronto’s annual appearance in Burnaby, bringing the Raptors to B.C.
-With additional reporting by Cornelia Naylor and Dan Olson
