OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 13: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors holds up the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after Game Six of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors on June 13, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE

Raptors boosted Canada's economy during championship run

Andrew D. Bernstein / National Basketball Association / Getty

The Toronto Raptors' NBA championship run turned out to be very beneficial for the Canadian economy.

Canada's gross domestic product expanded by 0.2 percent in May, thanks in part to the Raptors' success, according to Pete Evans of CBC. The economy saw a 0.5 percent jump in the arts and entertainment industry and a 0.4 percent increase in accommodation and food services. Those sectors include spending at restaurants and bars, or on things like playoff tickets.

Statistics Canada credited "higher attendance at spectator sports" for the surge in spending.

Tickets to the NBA Finals in Toronto were averaging as much as $5,965 on the secondary market, making them this decade's most expensive tickets for a sports final.

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