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The season was also the first full year played at the Air Canada Centre, after having played four years at the cavernous SkyDome, which was better suited to baseball and Canadian football. The "We The North" campaign was originally to be launched during the 2015–16 season; however, the launch was hastened so it would be ready in time for the 2014 playoffs, taking into account the poor performance of Canada's other pro sports teams at the time. An introductory commercial was quickly filmed, which featured the manifesto as narration, scenes of local basketball players in various outdoor locations around the city, and ended with a scene displaying a black, waving flag with the motto written on it.
The neck, arm, and shorts also feature the word "North" written out in different languages, representing the multiculturalism of the city. If the player is already under contract to, or signs a contract with a non-NBA team, the team retains the player's draft rights for one year after the player's obligation to the non-NBA team ends. Essentially, the clock stops as long as the player plays pro ball outside the NBA. On December 19, 2014, the Raptors soft-launched a new logo also designed by Sid Lee, which features a basketball with claw marks. There were also alleged tensions between MLSE staff and Drake surrounding the new design—in particular, the performer had pushed for the team to change its primary colour from red to gold .
Oklahoma City Thunder (4- vs Toronto Raptors (7-
The Raptors started their training camp by trading Alston to the Houston Rockets for Mike James and signing free agent José Calderón as a backup for James. Despite the infusion of new players, Toronto's overall 2005–06 season was a disappointment; they set a franchise record by losing their first nine games and 15 out of their first 16 games. With losses mounting and media scrutiny intensifying, the Raptors hired ex-Purdue coach Gene Keady as an assistant off the bench to help develop the young Raptors team and establish a defensive persona for the team. On January 15, 2006, the Raptors set a franchise points record in a 129–103 win over the Knicks when Villanueva hit a three-pointer late in the game. But less than a week later, the Raptors gave up an 18-point lead against the Los Angeles Lakers and allowed Lakers star Kobe Bryant to score 81 points, the second-highest single-game total in NBA history.
Bitove and Allan Slaight of Slaight Communications each owned 44 per cent, with the Bank of Nova Scotia , David Peterson , and Phil Granovsky being minority partners. Wagering on NBA games in Ontario nearly cost Toronto the expansion franchise, due to strict league rules at the time that prohibited gambling. The Raptors, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, played their first game on November 3, 1995. In the 2007–08 season, they also advanced to the playoffs but failed to reach the postseason in each of the next five seasons. Colangelo overhauled the team's roster for the 2009–10 season in a bid to persuade pending free agent Bosh to stay, but Bosh departed to sign with the Miami Heat in July 2010, ushering in yet another era of rebuilding for the Raptors. The Raptor mascot, the North Side Crew, and DJ 4 Korners provide in-arena entertainment at Scotiabank Arena during game day.
Toronto Ontario Logos Sticker - Raptors Blue Jays Maples Leafs - Major League Remix
For the 2021 NBA draft, the Raptors jumped up to the 4th pick after having the 7th best odds in the 2021 NBA draft lottery. With the 4th pick in the 2021 NBA draft, the Raptors selected guard Scottie Barnes from Florida State. On January 1, 2018, DeMar DeRozan scored a franchise-record 52 points to help the Raptors beat the Milwaukee Bucks 131–127 in overtime, matching the team record with their 12th consecutive home victory. DeRozan became the third player in Raptors history to score 50 or more in a single game—the others being Vince Carter and Terrence Ross, who each had 51.
Toronto did not host another NBA game until the 1970s, when the Buffalo Braves played a total of 16 regular season games at Maple Leaf Gardens from 1971 to 1975. The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games at Scotiabank Arena, which they share with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League . The team was founded in 1995 as part of the NBA's expansion into Canada, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies.
CN Tower Print, Downtown Toronto - die 6ix. Fine Art Architecture Foto
During the 1998 NBA draft, in what became a defining move for the franchise, Grunwald traded the team's 4th overall pick Antawn Jamison to the Golden State Warriors for Vince Carter, who was selected 5th overall. To bring further credibility to the Raptors, Grunwald traded Marcus Camby to the New York Knicks for Charles Oakley, a veteran with playoff experience. Kevin Willis, another veteran acquired from the trade, solidified the centre position, while the coaching staff temporarily rotated Brown, Williams and Doug Christie to play point guard. Both Christie and Williams became talented players in their own right; Christie developed into one of the elite defenders in the NBA, while Williams improved his play on the offensive end. New coach Butch Carter was also credited with much of the team's turnaround during the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season. Although the team did not make the playoffs, many were optimistic with the impressive performances of Rookie of the Year Carter and a much improved McGrady.
Finally, Delfino and Ukić were moved to the Milwaukee Bucks for Amir Johnson and Sonny Weems. It became increasingly clear that Colangelo, in securing a credible nucleus for the future, was doing this to persuade Bosh to stay beyond 2010. While the Raptors were off to a sluggish start, they picked up the pace around the All-Star break, reaching a season-high seven games above .500 and standing fifth in the Eastern Conference. However, a season-ending injury to Bosh after the break coincided with Toronto's descent down the standings from the fifth seed to the eighth, and they ultimately relinquished their spot to Chicago a few games before the regular season ended.
In a response on Twitter, Drake distanced himself from the "execution" of the new logo. On December 8, 2009, the Raptors introduced a blue-and-white throwback jersey to commemorate the Toronto Huskies of the Basketball Association of America, regarded by many as the unofficial, geographical predecessor of the Raptors. The uniforms were the same as those worn by the Huskies during the 1946–47 season, with the exception of the nickname and length of the shorts. These uniforms were worn in six games in the 2009–10 season and have since been used as "retro" jerseys, worn during special "Huskies Nights". Looking at the betting trends, the Raptors are 4-1 ATS in their last five road games, 1-4 ATS in their last five games against a team with a losing record and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall. The Thunder are 1-4 ATS in their last five games against a team with a winning record and 0-4 ATS in their last four games overall.
The first half of the season produced mixed results as Toronto struggled towards the .500 mark. Bargnani became the third Raptor ever to win the award twice, joining Vince Carter and Damon Stoudamire. Toronto ended the regular season with a 47–35 record, securing the third seed in the Eastern Conference for the 2007 NBA playoffs along with the Atlantic Division title, as well as homecourt advantage for the first time in franchise history. The Raptors were also praised for their improved defence, ball-sharing and tremendous team chemistry.
The Raptors won the division final but then faced the Nets in the opening round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs. Prior to Game 1 of the series, Raptors' general manager Masai Ujiri spoke at a Raptors rally outside Air Canada Centre's Maple Leaf Square. During the rally, Ujiri yelled "Fuck Brooklyn!" which found its way onto various social media platforms within minutes. Masai was fined $25,000 by the NBA for the quote and later apologized for the excessive language.
Davis quickly entered the Raptors starting lineup and he would develop into an All-Star in the coming years. Conversely, Bender would only play nine seasons and would be out of the league by age 29. In the backcourt, Carter, Christie, and Dell Curry played at the shooting guard position and Alvin Williams and Muggsy Bogues at point guard. The rotation of Davis, Oakley, and Willis in the frontcourt and Carter's and McGrady's improvement helped the team make its first-ever playoff appearance, fulfilling a promise Carter had made to fans in the previous season. Lacking significant post-season experience, Toronto was defeated 3–0 by the New York Knicks in the first round. Nonetheless, team improvements and the rise of Carter—who emphatically won the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest—attracted many fans around Toronto, many of whom were previously not basketball fans.
Bogut aiming for training camp, sports.espn.go.com, accessed August 24, 2009. Philadelphia 76ers Acquire Forward Jason Kapono From Toronto, nba.com accessed June 15, 2009. Smith, Doug, "Raptors hand the reins to Triano", thestar.com, May 12, 2009, accessed May 13, 2009. 2008–09 NBA Season Summary, basketball-reference.com, accessed April 16, 2009. Feschuk, Dave, "Raptors will defend crown", thestar.com, October 31, 2007, accessed November 1, 2007.
Injuries to both players during the season derailed the possibility for the Raptors to defend their 2007 Atlantic Division title. A game between the Raptors and the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2004–05 season. The Raptors were moved to the NBA's Atlantic Division prior to the start of that season. Interest to move or expand an NBA franchise to Toronto grew during the late-1980s; with former NBA commissioner David Stern later describing the expansion to Toronto as a "safe step," given the market size and the likelihood of success in the city. The NBA organized two exhibition games in 1989 and 1992 with an attendance of over 25,000 people each, both in the newly built SkyDome.
