Open gym is a series that goes behind the scenes of the Toronto Raptors throughout the NBA season. As we all know by now, last year was a crazy one that ended in a seven game series loss to the Boston Celtics inside a ‘bubble’ near Disney World. The Open Gym cameras were along for the ride, and the final result was a four-part documentary entitled: Open Gym: The Bubble.

It was shown in two, two hour segments over two weeks. The first section dealt with what it took to get the team into the bubble. The Raptors had the additional problems with the Canadian border shutdown due to COVID-19. The league allowed them to gather in Florida for two weeks before the Bubble started. It looked at what the supporting staff had to do in order to make that camp happen. They interviewed everyone from Masai Ujiri to the head of the team’s medical staff and even the equipment manager.

The second part was more serious dealt with life in the bubble. They covered everything from the staff delivering Amazon packages, to the players’ fight for social justice. They even had a segment showing the Raptor players watching the video of Masai Ujiri’s confrontation with the police officer the night the team won the championship. The players featured more prominently in the second section, speaking on their passion and determination to see racism addressed.

It was as much a behind-the-scenes look at the workings of an NBA team, as it was a statement on social justice. It brought us up to present day, and preparations for the most recent draft, as well as free agency signings. It ended with the need to again return to Florida. I hope that sets us up for a season 2.

This one gets a 9/10 from me. It looked at the Raptors as a team, and what it took to make it that far inside the bubble. It left me the sense of the team as a family.

Surprises:

General Manager Bobby Webster: Him and his coffee maker were one of my favourite parts of the show. The cafe 416 was a brilliant idea. It was like “come tell Bobby your problems”. It almost deserves a separate episode.

Social Justice: It was important to get the entire picture of the Masai Ujiri video that night in Golden State, and how it affected the players. It was equal parts sickening, and heartbreaking. As many have said Ujiri’s moment of celebrating a first championship with his team was stolen. He won’t get that back.

The Walk-out: I wasn’t surprised to learn that the Raptors would’ve walked out in protest first, if the Bucks hadn’t. I supported them then, as I do now in anything they do in the social justice vein. Racism needs to stop.

Kyle Lowry: If episode 2 was a wink in Giannis’ direction, then episodes 3 and 4 served as a message to the NBA that the Raptors are Kyle Lowry’s team. Period. It also makes you wonder how he managed balancing Kawhi Leonard with the needs of the rest of the team.