It was the photo seen around the NBA, the picture taken as Kawhi Leonard’s Game 7 buzzer-beater bounce, bounce, bounce, bounced its way around the rim, eventually dropping through the hoop to clinch the Raptors’ Eastern Conference semifinal win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Philadelphia centre Joel Embiid is on the left, craning his neck from behind the backboard to get a look at the ball. Leonard, centre stage in the moment and the picture that captured it, is squatting, his tongue poking out from between his lips in concentration. To his left, dressed in street clothes, is Jordan Loyd, also squatting, his mouth rounded into an “O” in awe. Or, as Charles Barkley put it when the TNT broadcast crew dissected the viral picture, taken by the Star’s Rick Madonik, post-game: “Who is that dude in the picture with Kawhi?” If you’re just jumping on the Raptors bandwagon as they prepare for the franchise’s first NBA Finals, beginning on Thursday against the Golden State Warriors, you might be asking yourself that same question. You might be asking it if you’ve followed them all year.Loyd, 25, is not on Toronto’s active roster in these playoffs. The two-way player who split his time between the Raptors and Raptors 905 in his first year with the organization played just 12 NBA games during the regular season, scoring 29 points.Read more: Opinion | Arthur: Raptors fans the world over rejoice as one after Kawhi sinks The ShotOpinion | Campbell: The Raptors’ Jurassic Park is a racial utopia. The rest of Toronto still needs workRaptors fan navigates his love of the team, his fiancée — and his jersey collectionBut Loyd still managed to pop up in the iconic photo, even if he can’t tell you how he got there.“I was standing with everyone else originally … I didn’t know (Leonard) squatted, too. I just was, like, in the moment. I wasn’t focused on anything but the ball and ...
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