Some Raptors fans appeared to cheer when Kevin Durant suffered an Achilles injury in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. One Toronto native has found a way to say sorry.
When Kevin Durant suffered what we now know to be a torn right Achilles tendon, it looked like some Toronto Raptors fans were downright pleased that the Golden State Warriors forward had to exit Game 5 of the NBA Finals mere minutes after he had returned from what was thought to have been a calf injury.
Whether or not the Raptors fans in question really were reveling in Durant’s injury, one Toronto native has chosen to crowd-fund an apology. Hamza Moin has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Durant’s Kevin Durant Charity Foundation.
Moin wrote that he was starting the campaign “On behalf of the level-headed and true fans of Raptor Nation,” because, “we wanted to say ‘sorry.’” The post continued:
We’re sorry that some fans of Raptor Nation at the Scotiabank arena, Jurassic Park, and in some bars/restaurants showing the game, displayed an ugly side of fandom when they cheered on the injury of Kevin Durant.
This isn’t cool. This isn’t right. This isn’t what I expect from fellow Canadians …
Both of the examples had crazy fans that did not reflect their team’s fanbase. I’d like to believe that the people cheering / waving goodbye at KD inside Scotiabank and in Jurassic Park also do not reflect our passionate fanbase.
I know for the next few days the sports talk shows won’t be talking about the game much… they’ll be talking about how crappy our fans are.
So I’d like to at least do my part in turning lemons into lemonade and showing the world how uncrappy we are.
Join me in sending our well-wishes to KD as he recovers. He’s put his blood, sweat and tears in this beautiful sport. Let’s give back to something he’s passionate about — helping to enrich the lives of at-risk youth from low-income backgrounds through educational, athletic and social programs through the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation.
The campaign initially planned to raise $25,000, but the amount now sits at over $29,600 at the time of this writing and has a new goal of $40,000. Hain, a Toronto-area native, is “a Digital Communications Specialist in the healthcare industry,” as well as a “part-time comedian and a struggling satirical writer/novelist.” In an update, he noted that he has run three other fundraising campaigns for various charitable causes.
Per the update, Durant himself doesn’t yet know about the GoFundMe campaign nor how much money it has raised. But Hain noted that. “The director of the Foundation definitely will let him know soon.”