Everyone loves to root for an underdog. And Toronto Raptors fans are no different.
There’s nothing that catches the public’s attention quite like unlikely heroes vaulting themselves into prominence. Cheering for a specific athlete draws on a lot of the same feelings as rooting for your favorite comic book superhero. You are never cheering for just the superhero or the athlete, you’re cheering for their backstories as well. You are pulling for them to overcome the unique set of obstacles and challenges that have come their way.
However, unlike superheroes, athlete’s stories are not predetermined. You can’t be sure that the players with the most compelling stories are going to end up being great.