We believe in the culture of hard work, determination, and resilience that has been embodied since day one by Masai Ujiri and his vision for the team. Together we are on a journey to secure a second championship and make our dreams come true. We stand side by side with one mission: to help the Toronto Raptors succeed!
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Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Raptors first game?
The Raptors' first regular season was played at the SkyDome against the New Jersey Nets, November 3, 1995. 33,306 fans were in attendance to watch Alvin Robertson score the first points in franchise history. The Raptors defeated Nets in 94-79. Contributions from Damon Stoudamire (10 and 10 assists), as well as Robertson (30 pts) were key.
What was the Toronto Raptors' first season?
The Toronto Raptors suffered a poor debut season. They won only 21 games. The 1995-1996 Toronto Raptors was the inaugural NBA season. The Raptors were among two expansion teams that joined the league in 1995, alongside the Vancouver Grizzlies. It was also the first NBA season played outside the United States.
Isiah Thomas, an All-Star pointguard and former Detroit Pistons legend became the team’s General Manager. He was a key contributor to the draft that resulted in Damon Stoudamire being named Rookie of Year. They also acquired Tracy Murray (and Oliver Miller) in separate trades. Thomas introduced a new primary logo featuring a dinosaur playing basketball, and pinstripe uniforms that featured the logo on their jerseys. The Raptors added purple and red to their color scheme.
Brendan Malone became the Raptors head coach on November 3. They beat the New Jersey Nets at SkyDome to win their debut. But they lost the next seven games.
Murray was second in scoring with 16.2 points per game. He also led the team with 151 three point field goals. Miller contributed 12.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 stoles to the team. Robertson contributed 9.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and four assists per game from the bench.
Despite their worst record in the league, they had a very high attendance, with over 17283 people per game at SkyDome (now Rogers Centre).
What year did the Raptors beat Chicago Bulls?
The Raptors defeated the Chicago Bulls on March 24, 1996 to win the NBA Championship. The final score was 110-108. Michael Jordan attempted to win the Bulls' game with a last-second shot, but it failed because it occurred after the final buzzer had sounded.
What was the first year of existence of the Toronto Raptors in 1985?
It was difficult for the Toronto Raptors to make it in the NBA's first season. Brendan Malone was appointed head coach by Isiah Tom, and they soon acquired many talented players via trades and in the draft. They lost to the Chicago Bulls one time that season, but they ended up with a 21–61 win-loss record overall.
Toronto drafted Marcus Camby in 1996. He was named Rookie of Year and was part of the starting lineup with Alvin Williams as point guard. Damon Stoudamire, who was later traded, was also traded. Toronto tried to build a foundation to succeed in the future by making more roster changes.
Despite all its changes, the team continues to struggle in its first few NBA seasons. Toronto finally made it to the playoffs in 2000 after a period for rebuilding and transition. Unfortunately, the New York Knicks won the series.
How many NBA teams are there in Canada?
The Toronto Raptors were the Canadian NBA's only team in 2001. The Vancouver Grizzlies used to be an NBA team between 1995 and 2001. In 2001, however, they relocated to Memphis where they 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. Canadians are avid basketball fans and often travel to the United States in order to catch games. The Toronto Raptors have been a famous team since their inception in 1995 and continue to draw large crowds for their home games at Scotiabank Arena. The NBA All-Star Weekend is attended by hundreds of Canadians each year. With a population of over 38 million, Canada can have more than one NBA team. Many North American basketball fans have debated the possibility of a second team. Until then, the Toronto Raptors remain the only Canadian representation in the NBA.
Canadian Elite Basketball League(CEBL) is a Canadian professional basketball team. This league features six teams, including the Fraser Valley Bandits in Abbotsford, BC, Edmonton Stingers in Edmonton, Alberta, Guelph Nighthawks in Guelph Ontario, Hamilton Honey Badgers and Saskatchewan Rattlers in Saskatchewan. The Niagara River Lions are located at St. Catharines, Ontario. The CEBL currently operates Canada's sole professional basketball league.
From 2011 to 2020, there was a professional male basketball league called the National Basketball League of Canada. It had eight teams representing eight cities: Moncton (Moncton), Saint John, Cape Breton; Summerside, London; Windsor, Windsor, and Kitchener. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of operations at the NBLC in 2020.
Canada has several junior basketball leagues. One example is the Canadian National Basketball League (CNB), which is a semi-professional men’s league that is based in Vancouver. CNB has teams from British Columbia and Alberta as well as Manitoba and Ontario. The Canadian Elite Development League (CEDL) is another junior basketball league in Canada that fields teams primarily from the Greater Toronto Area. AC) as well as the Canadian Youth Basketball League. These leagues allow young basketball players to grow their skills while playing in a competitive environment.
Why did NBA leave Vancouver?
The dispute with Vancouver City Council over arena financing led to NBA leaving Vancouver. The City of Vancouver was to contribute $40million towards the construction a new basketball venue. This would include 12 luxury suites as well as two restaurants, a bar and a hotel. However, the City Council wanted to give the team owners $60 million in taxpayer money to pay off their existing debt. This meant the city would have to borrow $200 million to build the arena, while the team owners only had to pay back $20 million in debt. This would result in the city being responsible for paying the rest of its loan.
The City Council stated that they would be open to the plan if the NBA agreed not to leave Rogers Arena until the new facility opens. The league refused to sign on, claiming that the arena was no longer large enough. They couldn't play there any more because the arena was too small. They felt that asking them to play in a smaller venue was unfair, especially since they weren't making any additional revenue.
The City Council asked for financial assistance and offered to help the province. Although the province was willing to donate $150 million, the City Council still needed additional $100 million. The City decided to focus its efforts on building a new downtown arena and dropped its plans.
Statistics
- Thomas named Raptors' GM NBA superstar to have 10% stake in the new franchise". (en.wikipedia.org)
- In November of the 1996–97 season, Bitove sold his ownership interest in the team to Slaight for $65 million after Slaight had activated a shotgun clause in their partnership agreement,[32][33] giving Slaight 79 percent control of the team, [34] (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)
External Links
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How To
Best time to visit a Toronto Raptors game
The Toronto Raptors usually play during weekdays between October-April. Weekends are usually reserved for concerts and festivals.
Book tickets early to avoid disappointment. Tickets are often sold quickly.
Wednesday is the most popular day for Toronto Raptors fans to visit. This is because many fans show up early to watch pregame warmups.
Fans head to Nathan Phillips Square next to the ACC after the game. They remain there until the final whistle.
The best time to visit a Toronto Raptor game is after 8 pm. Fans should not leave the stadium after midnight, but they should return to celebrate their team’s victory.
Resources:
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