OPINION | Joy Drop: Canada’s Jamal Murray is bringing the heat in NBA Finals | CBC Sports

Friends, the week has been rough with air quality being so compromised in major Canadian cities and regions. There has been so much concern about climate change and stress regarding the smoke from wildfires raging across the country. Many people are wearing masks and avoiding going outside if it is recommended. To offer some joy amidst the concern, here are some things that truly brought me joy.

In moments of crisis it is always beautiful to have support and solidarity, especially from people across the world. This week, more than 200 South African men and women arrived in Edmonton as part of a firefighter contingent to help battle the wildfires in Alberta. I have watched this clip about 10 times and my heart truly soared. To come so selflessly and help out other firefighters in an incredibly dangerous line of work. I hope all responders stay safe as they protect our communities. They are truly superheroes. 

We are deep into the NBA Finals and what a sight to see as Kitchener, Ont.’s own Jamal Murray playing with the Denver Nuggets and getting so much love from his hometown.

In a game on Wednesday night, Murray scored 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. His teammate, Nikola Jokic, a two-time league MVP, became the first player in history to log 30 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in a Finals game and they became the first pair in history to get 30-point triple-doubles in the same game. 

In another example of domination, we go to the ice — but to a reporter not a player. Samantha Rivera works for Miami’s CBS affiliate and is covering the Stanley Cup final between Florida and Las Vegas. During Game 2 in Las Vegas, she kept her composure as a Knights’ fan tried to interrupt her broadcast. She managed to remain calm while keeping the rowdy fan at bay with a perfectly executed straight arm. She is a sight to behold and her actions to protect her professional space are heroic.

Speaking of superheroes, my coworker Al told me that the latest Spiderman movie brought him a lot of joy this week. I haven’t watched it yet, but the memes about chai are hilarious. The character of Indian Spiderman, Pavitr Prabhakar, says in some witty dialogue what many South Asians already know: “chai tea” is not an appropriate term. It’s redundant. Pavitr’s response is golden and it brought me great pleasure to hear him articulate it. Chai literally means “tea.” So if you say “chai tea” you’re saying “tea tea“. I hope people remember this before drinking “tea tea” or eating “naan bread.”

Lastly, here is another little hero bringing joy to people all over the internet: his name is Fig and my friend Fatima introduced him to me. She is a climate reporter for The Narwhal and shared his videos. He definitely is a happy-inducing creature. 

I hope you stay safe this weekend, and don’t forget to check-in on friends and neighbours.