It was shaping up to be the best season of Khem Birch’s NBA career: playing for the team he followed as a youngster, owner of a lucrative new contract that spoke to the faith the franchise had in him, with a legitimate shot at being a starter and playing more than he ever had.
Then COVID-19 hit, and the coronavirus robbed Birch and his family of three weeks of normalcy — three weeks to get ready for what some thought would be a breakout season.
It may still turn out that way for the 29-year-old Raptors centre.