In the quiet hours before the funeral that was Game 2 of Raptors-Cavaliers, one hall of famer extended a warm hand to another and offered condolences.
This was Hubie Brown, the 84-year-old ESPN analyst and legendary coach, patting the mighty shoulder of Wayne Embry, the Raptors’ 81-year-old senior adviser and basketball lifer.
“You’ve seen a few too many of those,” Brown said to Embry.
Brown was speaking about the Raptors’ gutting loss in Game 1 of the series — a defeat largely self-inflicted by a Toronto team that turned layups into empty possessions and open shots into rushed misses.