Join us in expressing our unwavering support for Masai Ujiri and his vision as an NBA GM. We trust him to lead our team to achieve the heights of greatness we deserve.
Our readers are true believers of the "We the North" mentality and stand by Raptors no matter what situation they go through. If you'd like to be part of this fantastic atmosphere, send us an e-mail at [email protected] and become one with us!
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "We The North” mean?
The Toronto Raptors' anthem is "We The North", also known under the name We The North Nation. It was written by Drake and Noah Shebib, a producer.
Drake wrote the song at his Toronto apartment with a friend. Drake finished his album Take care with Kanye West. Drake also wrote some lyrics about his hometown during the recording process. Drake wanted it be representative of all Canadians. The song speaks about unity and pride as well as hope.
Drake began writing the melody for We The North while he was in London filming the video of "Nice For What". The song's instrumental version was recorded in just one take.
Drake was writing lyrics for the song when 40 suggested the chorus. Drake heard the hook and asked 40 if he could record it. Together they created the final product.
The official music video to "We The North Anthem", was released October 5, 2018. It featured Canadian singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes performing along with Drake and other musicians.
How many years have the Raptors been together as a team?
Toronto Raptors is an NBA franchise that is located in Toronto, Ontario. The Raptors joined NBA in 1995 as an expansion club, alongside the Vancouver Grizzlies. In 2001-02 the Raptors became Canada's only NBA-based team, after the Grizzlies moved to Memphis.
Toronto Raptors: The Raptors play their home games in Scotiabank Arena. The arena is also used by the Maple Leafs, the city's NHL team. Since their inception in 1921, the Raptors have played in the NBA playoffs thirteen times. Their most recent appearance was in 2021 when they were defeated in six games by the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Raptors were eligible for their first playoff appearance in 1999/2000. Unfortunately, they were swept by division rivals New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs.
There were not many fans and the team was not exciting. There was not much to be excited about and nothing to cheer for. After years of being mediocre, the team made a decision to improve its image and make it more appealing to the general public.
The team hired an advertising agency to help them create a national marketing strategy in 2001. Using creative thinking, they devised a slogan, "Hear us roar."
The slogan was used to promote the fact the games were sold out. All they had to do was create a catchy phrase with a great logo. This is where agency's creative genius shines. They combined "hear me roar" and "never forget to die", a popular saying. This became the official motto of the Toronto Raptors.
Why did NBA leave Vancouver?
NBA left Vancouver because of a dispute with the City Council regarding arena financing. The City planned to provide $40 million for the construction of a new arena that would feature 12 luxury suites and two restaurants. The City Council wanted to provide $60 million in taxpayer funds to team owners to repay their existing debt. This meant that the city had to borrow $200m to construct the arena. But the team owners would only have to pay back $20m. This would make it so that the city's tax payers would be responsible to repay the remainder of this loan.
If the NBA would agree to keep Rogers Arena open until the opening of the new facility, the City Council was willing to approve the plan. But the league refused, saying that the arena wasn’t large enough. It was too small for them to continue playing there. They felt asking them to continue playing in a smaller venue was unfair when they weren't getting any extra revenue.
The City Council requested financial assistance from the province in return. Although the province offered $150 million to the project, the City Council needed $100 million more. The City then decided to abandon its plans and instead focus on building a new downtown arena.
How was the Toronto Raptors' first year?
It was difficult for the Toronto Raptors to make it in the NBA's first season. Brendan Malone was hired as the head coach and Isiah THOMAS became GM. In 1995, the Raptors were established. Many talented players were drafted and traded for. They defeated the mighty Chicago Bulls once that season, but overall they finished with a 21-61 win-loss record.
Toronto drafted Marcus Camby (Rookie of The Year) in 1996. Camby joined the Toronto starting line-up along with Alvin Williams at guard. Damon Stoudamire was traded later in 1997. Toronto made more roster changes over the years to ensure future success.
Despite all these changes, the team has struggles in its first few seasons of the NBA. After a period of transition and rebuilding, Toronto finally made its first playoff appearance in 2000 but lost the series to the New York Knicks.
Who are the top five Raptor per-game scorers?
Kawhi Leonard has the highest scoring player on the team with 26.6 points per contest. Vince Carter is next with 23.4 points per minute, Mike James with 20.3, Chris Bosh at 20.2, Chris Bosh and DeMar DeRozan are following with 20.3 points each game.
What was the fate of the Toronto Raptors following Kawhi Leonard's departure from Toronto?
It was a record year for the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors won 53 games in the 2020 season. All-Star point-guard Kyle Lowry, who averaged 19.7 and 7.5 points per game, was key to the team’s success. Lowry was joined by fellow All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, who averaged 22.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Norman Powell and Fred VanVleet were also strong role players for the Raptors. The team's talent and depth helped them overcome injuries to key players, such as Serge Ibaka & Marc Gasol.
The team was led by Coach of the Year Nick Nurse and All-NBA Second Teamer Pascal Siakam. . Coach Nurse made bold strategic decisions that paid off, and Siakam emerged as a superstar, averaging nearly 20+ points per game. Kyle Lowry was chosen to the 2020 NBA All-Star roster, his sixth consecutive selection.
The playoffs began earlier than usual this year. They took place at the "Bubble", Bay Lake in Florida, near Orlando. The Raptors defeated the Brooklyn Nets in round one and won 4-0. They went down 0-2 against the Boston Celtics in the next round, but OG Anunoby hit a buzzer-beater to win Toronto the third game. The series was eventually reduced to seven with Boston winning.
What are the Canadian NBA teams?
Since 2001, the Toronto Raptors have been the only Canadian NBA team. The Vancouver Grizzlies were an NBA team from 1995 to 2001 but relocated to Memphis and became the Memphis Grizzlies. Canada did have two teams--the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies--for a brief time during the late 1990s, but no other Canadian cities currently have an NBA team. Canadian basketball fans are still passionate, even though Canada does not have an NBA team. Many Canadians travel to the United States to see games. The Toronto Raptors, a team known for its fame since 1995, continue to attract large crowds at Scotiabank Arena. Many Canadians travel to the United States each year to enjoy the NBA All-Star Weekend. Canada has more than one NBA team, with a population exceeding 38 million. Many North Americans have discussed and debated the idea of a second basketball team. The Toronto Raptors are the only Canadian team in the NBA.
The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), a professional league of basketball, is located in Canada. The league has six teams from Canada, including the Fraser Valley Bandits (Abbotsford), Edmonton Stingers [Edmonton], Alberta], Guelph Nighthawks—Guelph. Ontario), Hamilton Honey Badgers—Hamilton. Ontario), Saskatchewan Rattlers—Saskatoon. Saskatchewan and the Niagara River Lions—St. Catharines. Ontario). The CEBL is the only professional basketball league operating in Canada currently.
From 2011 to 2020, there was a professional male basketball league called the National Basketball League of Canada. It included eight teams from Halifax and Moncton. Saint John. Cape Breton. Summerside. London. Windsor. Kitchener. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the NBLC ceased operation.
Canada also has junior basketball leagues such as the Canadian National Basketball League(CNB), a semiprofessional men’s league based out of Vancouver, BC. CNB is home to teams from British Columbia. Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Manitoba. Another Canadian junior basketball league (CEDL), which mainly features teams from the Greater Toronto Area, is the Canadian Elite Development League (CEDL). AC) and the Canadian Youth Basketball League. These leagues give young basketball players an opportunity to learn and compete in a competitive setting.
Statistics
- After Thomas attempted to execute a letter of intent with Slaight to purchase the team failed, he resigned from his position in November and sold his 9 percent stake in the team to Slaight. (en.wikipedia.org)
- By 2018, estimated the Raptors were worth $1.4 billion, 12th in the NBA. (en.wikipedia.org)
- Thomas named Raptors' GM NBA superstar to have 10% stake in the new franchise". (en.wikipedia.org)
- This improved during the 2006–07 regular season to an average of 18,258 fans (13th in the league), 92.2 percent capacity at the Air Canada Centre. (en.wikipedia.org)
- Thomas named Raptors' GM NBA superstar to have 10% stake in the new franchise". (en.wikipedia.org)
External Links
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How To
When is the best time to see a Toronto Raptors team play?
Toronto Raptors games typically take place on weekdays between April and October. Weekends are often reserved for other events, such as concerts and festivals.
You should book tickets in advance as they sell quickly.
Wednesday is the most popular date to attend a Toronto Raptors match. This is because so many people show up early to catch pregame warmups.
Fans head to Nathan Phillips Square next to the ACC after the game. They stay there until the end of the game.
The best time to visit a Toronto Raptor game is after 8 pm. The stadium is empty before midnight, but fans return to celebrate their team's win.
Resources:
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[TAG33]Hot playoff takes and wondering what it is the Raptors should prioritize this offseason with Chelsea Leite!The post Playoff Takes and Raptors Off Season – |
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[TAG41]Mapping out allll the possibilities for Toronto's offseason paths.The post What would an ideal offseason look like for Toronto? first appeared on Raptors |
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[TAG43]Visit ESPN to view the latest Toronto Raptors news, scores, stats, standings, rumors, and more |
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Oren Weisfeld joins host Cathryn Naiker to discuss the playoffs and more.The post NBA Playoffs, winners & losers so far first appeared on Raptors Republic
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[TAG45]These playoffs are particularly painful for Raptors fans.The post Should the Raptors regret their trades given Anunoby and Siakam’s success? first appeared on |
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[TAG46]Get the latest news and information for the Toronto Raptors. 2022 season schedule, scores, stats, and highlights. Find out the latest on your favorite NBA |
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The final Run It Back show of the Raptors' regular season where Kyle and Zulfi hand out some hardware.The post END OF SEASON AWARDS – Run It Back Raptors Recap
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Let's hang.The post Open Thread: First Round for the Canadians first appeared on Raptors Republic
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[TAG49]The official site of the National Basketball Association. Follow the action on NBA scores, schedules, stats, news, Team and Player news. |
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[TAG50]Samson Folk is joined by Louis Zatzman to discuss what went well, and what went poorly during the Raptors season.The post THE DEFINITIVE SEASON REVIEW w/ |
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The 2024 season was bad but lets start talking playoffs.The post 2024 Season End & Playoff Preview – Confederacy of Dunks first appeared on Raptors Republic
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[TAG52]Be the best Toronto Raptors fan you can be with Bleacher Report. Keep up with the latest storylines, expert analysis, highlights, scores and more. |
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[TAG53]Host Cathryn Naiker is joined by Jerome Chang to discuss Play-In tournament and moreThe post Play-In Recap, Warriors Over?, Masai Ujiri & more first appeared |
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Saying hi, catching up, etcetera.The post Open Thread: mid-play-in check-in first appeared on Raptors Republic
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[TAG55]Get the latest Toronto Raptors news, scores, schedules, stats, game highlights, photos & videos. We The North! NBA coverage from best sports writers. |
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Jontay Porter's career in the NBA is done.The post Jontay Porter banned from NBA first appeared on Raptors Republic
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On Canada's -- and Oklahoma City's -- leaders.The post SGA and Lu Dort: The Yin and Yang Of Leadership first appeared on Raptors Republic
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[TAG58]Raptors news, scores, schedules, and game coverage from thestar.com. Follow Raptors updates and analysis from the Star's leading sportswriters |
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Join Samson Folk as he discusses the Raptors exit interviews.The post Talking about the Raptors exit interviews w/ Samson & Es first appeared on Raptors
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The 2023-24 season is finally over. What was it all for?The post What did Toronto’s 2023-24 season mean? first appeared on Raptors Republic
