Wednesday’s game between the Raptors and Boston Celtics turned out to be one great outing for an 87-year-old fan from Toronto — even if the night ended on a sour note for most hometown fans.
A women from Toronto named Attia not only had the chance to watch her favourite team in action, but she also met her favourite player, Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum.
According to Offside’s Marley Dickenson, Attia arrived at Scotiabank Arena with her daughter a few hours before tipoff to watch the teams warm up prior to Wednesday night’s game.
But while she had only anticipated getting the chance to see her favourite player live in action, it became so much more.
How did the fan get to meet Jayson Tatum?
After finishing his shootaround, Tatum came over to greet the elderly fan and had a brief conversation with Attia, which was caught on camera.
“I heard you’re a big fan,” Tatum said to Attia in a video shared on X. “It’s nice to meet you. I hope you bring us some good luck today! OK!”
Attia told the outlet that she became a big fan of the six-time all-star after watching him on Starting 5, Netflix’s NBA docuseries. While she appreciates his skills on the court, Attia also appreciates his personality.
“He’s a great player and I like his personality,” she said after her meeting with Tatum.
How did Jayson Tatum do against the Raptors?
Both teams came into Wednesday’s game at somewhat of a disadvantage. The host Raptors remained without the services of top stars Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes while the Celtics were coming off a game the previous night against the 76ers.
While the Celtics started out slow against the Raptors, at one point falling behind by 22 points, Boston mounted a spirited comeback to win the game 98-93.
Toronto, which led by one point with under one minute remaining, saw its record drop to 5-6.
Tatum led all scorers in the game with 24 points despite some poor shooting, going 6-for-21 from the field. He also contributed with seven rebounds and eight assists – surely much to Attia’s delight.
It’s now the Raptors’ turn for a quick turnaround, with the team back in action on Thursday night in Philadelphia against the 76ers. The Sixers, featuring LeBron James and former Celtics star Jaylen Brown alongside Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, will be looking to bounce back from their loss to Boston.