'Messed up' match at Mile One: Raptors fan recalls 2003 Cleveland game canned by condensation

For a lot of Newfoundlanders, the back-and-forth conference final between the Toronto Raptors and the Cleveland Cavaliers is triggering a little bit of déjà vu.

It turns out, we've been here before.

Well…sort of.

On Friday night, the Raptors will play the Cavaliers in a do-or-die Game 6 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Nearly 13 years ago, on Oct. 23, 2003, the Cleveland Cavaliers and 18-year-old rookie Lebron James traveled to St. John's to play the Toronto Raptors in a sold-out preseason contest at Mile One Centre.

But while the face off between Raptors star Vince Carter and rookie Lebron James in the high school phenom's first NBA game generated international headlines, it was doomed from the very beginning.

An unseasonably warm day in St. John's triggered condensation that made Mile One Centre's hardwood court too slippery for players and the game was cancelled while shocked fans looked on.

Crowd not impressed

Raptors fan Jesse Burns was in the crowd that night and said it was a bittersweet evening.  

Around 12-years-old at the time, he grew up watching the Raptors.

"My old man he took me to the game and it was supposed to be this big father-son moment," he said.

"It was the first time I was going to go to a professional sports game, but in the end it was a big failure, but I don't think I'll ever forget it."

He said the crowd that night was primed for an exciting basketball game.

"A lot of people don't realize there's a pretty good basketball community in Newfoundland," he said.

"The atmosphere, to be quick, it was electric."

Burns said that when the Raptors General Manager Glen Grunwald walked out to centre court and informed the crowd the game wouldn't be going forward, the mood in the arena, filled with eager basketball fans, took a nasty turn.

"The crowd got a little volatile. I just remember people yelling and screaming and people were just flipping out," he said.

"Nobody could believe it, that they would somehow find a way to mess it up."

At the time Grunwald promised the Raptors would come back to the province to play in two years, but that didn't happen.

Great to see Raptors on big stage 

Now an adult, Burns said it's nice to see the Raptors doing so well after so many years of struggling . 

"It feels great to see the Raptors on basketball's biggest stage," he said. 

"It's just nice to see Canadian basketball getting to the next level."

While he thinks the Cavaliers are a formidable foe, he's hoping the Raptors are able to take Game 6 on Friday night and push the Eastern Conference Finals to a Game 7.

"The Raptors play best with their backs against the wall, so hopefully we'll see a good performance,"  he said 

As for the Raptors making another appearance in St. John's to play a preseason game, Burns is not holding his breath. 

"I just can't imagine them actually doing it because it's not profitable and we messed it up the first time."