[187] The logo's introduction was marred by a disorganized launch, which saw a black and white version initially shown before the eventual unveiling of coloured versions later in the day, mixed reviews for the design itself, with some (especially on the black and white version) comparing it to that of the Brooklyn Nets, and despite teasing merchandise with the new logo, not releasing any until at least mid-2015. [120] Howard would put up a 29–20 in Game 2, as Hedo Türkoğlu scored the final four go-ahead points to give the Magic a 2–0 lead. Finally, Delfino and Ukić were moved to the Milwaukee Bucks for Amir Johnson and Sonny Weems. In a response on Twitter, Drake distanced himself from the "execution" of the new logo. Mourning chose not to report to Toronto, forcing Babcock to buy out the remainder of his contract[81] at a reported $10 million, leaving him free to sign with the Miami Heat. vs Philadelphia. [103] After the All-Star break, Bargnani continued to work on his defence and shooting (averaging 14.3 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game in 12 games for the month of February 2007), and he was selected as the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for the second straight time on March 1, 2007. [220] In addition to the Welcome Toronto home games, it was also announced that the Raptors and OVO would donate $1 million in order to refurbish local community basketball courts, as well as another $2 million to Canada Basketball.[221]. 7:30 PM: Tickets as low as $94: Sat, May 15 @ Milwaukee. The Raptors also wear a camouflage uniform based on the temperate variant of CADPAT (Canadian Disruptive Pattern) during special events involving the Canadian Armed Forces,[194] as well as jerseys themed by Drake, such as Welcome Toronto jerseys, which are black with gold text. The Raptors entered the All-Star break with a 28–24 record, and DeRozan was also selected to play in the All-Star game, being only the fourth ever Raptor to do so. [71] Furthermore, the Raptors recorded the dubious honour of being the only team in NBA history not to dress 12 players for a single game in a season. Babcock's first move as general manager was drafting centre Rafael Araújo—selected eighth overall—in the 2004 NBA draft, in a move that was criticized by fans and analysts, considering highly touted swingman Andre Iguodala was drafted with the next pick. [216], 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. Eric and Aaron Williams were supposed to add defensive toughness and rebounding, but were generally under-utilized for the entire season. [157] Another seven-game series against the Miami Heat ensued, which Toronto also won. With the continued popularity of the Raptors, the value of the franchise doubled from US$148 million in 2000 to $297 million in 2004. They came off a playoff series win vs the Wizards, while the Pistons came in off a 4-1 win vs the 8th seeded ⦠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". [57][60] Wilkens was praised for having Williams defend shooting guard Allan Houston and Carter defend small forward Latrell Sprewell, the two major Knicks offensive threats. [1][13] Bitove and Allan Slaight of Slaight Communications each owned 44 per cent, with the Bank of Nova Scotia (10 per cent), David Peterson (1 per cent), and Phil Granovsky (1 per cent) being minority partners. With the game tied at 84 with 26 seconds left in regulation, Drew Gooden came through and hit a layup to give Cleveland the lead that they never squandered. Now He's Dominating", "Raptors get Gasol from Grizzlies - TSN.ca", "Raptors stop Mavericks for franchise-best start at 6-0", "Kawhi Leonard leads Raptors to win over Wizards", "Leonard leads Raptors to victory over Cavaliers in eighth straight win", "Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards - January 13, 2019", "2019 NBA Eastern Conference First Round Magic vs. Raptors", "Kawhi ousts Sixers with unprecedented shot", "2019 NBA Eastern Conference Finals Raptors vs. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Toronto Raptors seasons. [119] However, Toronto quickly fell behind Boston in the division, as Bargnani's inability to play well consistently, along with injuries to Garbajosa (75 games), Bosh (15 games) and Ford (31 games), derailed the possibility of a smooth campaign. [168] Secondly, during the trade deadline, the Raptors traded Jonas Valančiūnas, Delon Wright, C. J. Since their inception in 1995, the Raptors have made the playoffs twelve times (2000–2002, 2007, 2008, and 2014–2020), advancing past the first round six times (2001 and 2016–2020). During the 2013–14 season, a new "Drake Zone" was created in the lower bowl. Haddadi was later traded, along with a second round pick, to Phoenix in exchange for guard Sebastian Telfair. After Carter left, Chris Bosh emerged as the team leader. Davis quickly entered the Raptors starting lineup and he would develop into an All-Star in the coming years. [154] The following day the Raptors clinched the Atlantic Division title for the third consecutive season as a result of a Boston Celtics loss against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Raptors returned to the playoffs the following year and became a consistent playoff team in every year of Ujiri's tenure. After the 2014–15 season, Louis Williams won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, becoming the first Raptor to do so. [169][170][171] The Raptors got off to a 6–0 start, a franchise record. [65] In the summer of 2001, long-term contracts were given to Alvin Williams, Jerome Williams and Davis, while former NBA MVP centre Hakeem Olajuwon was signed to provide Carter with good support. [88] 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. Dwyane Wade was named NBA Finals MVP. [166] Nick Nurse was promoted to replace Casey as head coach on June 14. [42] Thomas was replaced by Glen Grunwald as general manager. [206] This record has since been broken during the Raptors' victorious 2019 playoff run. "[76] Rob Babcock was named general manager on June 7, 2004, alongside the appointments of Wayne Embry as senior advisor and Alex English as director of player development. [176] In the following round, the Raptors defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in a tightly contested seven-game series. They normally play their home games at Scotiabank Arena, which they share with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL), but they are currently using Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida as their home during the 2020–21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto. Against the two-time defending Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons, the Cavs were routed in Game 1 and lost Game 2 by 6 before winning the next 3 and being 1 game away from beating the Pistons. Thomas selected Damon Stoudamire, a point guard out of Arizona, around whom the franchise would seek to construct its near future. [84] Although the ACC was often well-attended due to the Raptors' 22–19 home record,[85] their inability to win on the road (11–30) and poor defensive record made Mitchell's first year as head coach unimpressive. In 2017, as part of the NBA's partnership with Nike, each team was allotted four primary uniforms, classified as “editions". 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. [182] On February 28, 2021, due to NBA's COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols, for the first time in the season for Toronto, the game between the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls had been postponed. [57] In the 2000 off-season, free agent McGrady opted to leave the Raptors in a sign-and-trade deal worth $67.5 million over six years, while giving a conditional draft pick as part of the agreement to the Orlando Magic for a first-round draft pick. [38][40] However, the Raptors struggled against teams who were not of championship calibre, including three losses to the 15–67 Boston Celtics. [136] Bosh was recording career-highs in points and rebounds per game. [140] Belinelli was then traded to New Orleans Hornets for Julian Wright,[141] and 13 games into the season, Jack, David Andersen, and Marcus Banks to New Orleans for Peja Stojaković and Jerryd Bayless. [172] Winning their 16th game on November 23, the Raptors broke their franchise record for the best start through 20 games with a 16–4 record. Still, Toronto ended the season weakly when Bosh suffered a season-ending thumb injury. [96] Bosh was also named a reserve forward for the Eastern All-Star Team in the 2006 game,[75] becoming the third Raptor after Vince Carter and Antonio Davis to appear in an All-Star Game. This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning the first three meetings. The Cavaliers ⦠This page was last edited on 20 February 2021, at 19:37. Toronto received Alonzo Mourning, forwards Eric Williams and Aaron Williams and two mid-to-late future first round picks from the New Jersey Nets. [51] Carter then suffered a bout of patellar tendinitis (also known as "jumper's knee"),[67] forcing him to miss the All-Star game and the rest of the season,[66] and without their franchise player, Toronto lost 13 consecutive games. [61] Carter was later widely criticized for attending his graduation ceremony at the University of North Carolina on the morning of Game 7, as he scored only 20 points on 6-for-18 shooting after a 39-point performance in Game 6. The team said the slogan on the tag will be visible to players when they tuck in their jersey. In the 2017 off-season, the Raptors announced that Toronto-based Sun Life Financial is the jersey sponsor for the Raptors starting in the 2017–18 season.[9]. The value of the franchise grew again from $315 million in 2006 to $373 million in 2007, and $400 million in 2008. [57] When Alvin Williams later emerged as a clutch performer,[58] Jackson was traded to allow Williams more playing time. O'Neal and Moon were then traded to Miami for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks,[126] but with the losses mounting, the Raptors soon fell out of the playoffs picture and were eliminated from contention with seven games of the regular season remaining. As a salute to the earlier We the North campaign, the uniforms feature a gold chevron with "NORTH" written across it. However, when the Pistons lost to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, home-court advantage in the NBA Finals went to the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks, which had a better record than the Heat. Cavs get 101-90 win to hand Houston 12th straight loss. In this case, the team retains the player's draft rights in the NBA until one year after the player's contract with the non-NBA team ends. Several changes to the roster were made before the 2007–08 campaign as Toronto sought to reproduce the same form as the previous campaign. Rose, Carter and Alvin Williams all suffered injuries as the Raptors struggled to a record of 8–24 in their remaining games. The Toronto Sun reported that Carter felt he was being misled by the Raptors' hierarchy during the general manager search and had concluded that as long as the managerial structure at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. remained intact, the Raptors would never be an elite team. 10 seed ⦠[44] With Thomas gone, Stoudamire immediately sought a trade. The game was low scoring throughout as usual in this series, with Cleveland holding a 68-66 lead through 3 quarters. [54] Nonetheless, team improvements and the rise of Carter—who emphatically won the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest[51]—attracted many fans around Toronto, many of whom were previously not basketball fans. The four courts are located at Flemingdon Community Centre in the North York district in the north end of the city, Malvern Community Recreation Centre in the Scarborough district in the east end of the city, Matty Eckler Community Centre in the Riverdale neighbourhood of the Old Toronto district just to the east of downtown, and Thistletown Community Centre in the Etobicoke district in the west end of the city. With a 105–97 win at home against the Atlanta Hawks on March 30, 2016, the Raptors attained their first ever 50-win season. This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first three meetings. The Raptors defeated the Wizards 4–2. [1] The team's roster was then filled as a result of an expansion draft in 1995. Dwane Casey, an assistant coach with the Mavericks, was hired as the new head coach of Toronto before the 2011–12 season. [1] Thomas then selected a wide range of players in the expansion draft, including veterans Jerome Kersey, Willie Anderson and his former Pistons teammate John Salley. [75] 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.[137]. Additionally, Mitchell had problems dealing with Alston, who openly expressed his unhappiness with Mitchell in a post-game interview. Toronto was the more balanced team with Carter, Alvin Williams and Davis providing much of the offensive game and Chris Childs and Jerome Williams on defence. As with most expansion teams, the Raptors struggled in their early years, but after the acquisition of Vince Carter through a draft-day trade in 1998, the franchise set league-attendance records and made the NBA playoffs in 2000, 2001, and 2002. The Raptors, who were one of the four teams that never reached the NBA Conference Finals in their histories, appeared in the third round for the first time in their twenty-first season, facing the Cleveland Cavaliers,[158] in which they ultimately lost the series 4–2. 2006 was the playoff debut of LeBron James, who helped the Cavaliers eke out 1-point OT victories over the Washington Wizards in Games 5 and 6 of their first-round series to advance. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat defeating the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Armstrong refused to report for training, and Thomas promptly traded him to the Golden State Warriors for power forwards Carlos Rogers and Victor Alexander. After 50 games, Toronto was 25–25 and in a position to make the playoffs, but injuries to key players sent the Raptors plummeting down the standings. Known as Air Canada Centre from 1999 to 2018. [177] They went on to face the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. From there, the Cavaliers took on the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Over 2,000 entries were narrowed down to eleven prospects: Beavers, Bobcats, Dragons, Grizzlies, Hogs, Raptors, Scorpions, T-Rex, Tarantulas, Terriers and Towers (the eventual runner-up). [220][221], Professional basketball team based in Toronto, Canada, Jorge Garbajosa (left) and Chris Bosh (right) during the, 1999–2002: Success during the Vince Carter era. [38] By the end of the season, Camby earned a berth on the NBA's All-Rookie Team, while Stoudamire continued to play well, averaging 20.2 points and 8.8 assists per game. On September 30, 2013, Toronto-based rapper Drake was announced as the new "global ambassador" for the Toronto Raptors, thereby joining the executive committee of his hometown's NBA team. The team was founded in 1995 as part of the NBA's expansion into Canada, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies. 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. which found its way onto various social media platforms within minutes. After Vince Carter's annual charity game, Babcock implicitly revealed to the media that Carter's agent had asked for a trade, confirming Carter's discontent. Bold Series winner TBD: Sun, May 16 @ Detroit. This was the first playoff meeting between the Cavaliers and the Pistons.[10]. This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the Heat.[17]. [75] In contrast to Bosh's emergence, Araújo struggled to keep a spot in the line-up, and became unpopular with fans and local media. The Pistons have the second-worst record in the league. On February 12, 1998, Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd., the owners of the Toronto Maple Leafs, purchased 100 per cent of the Raptors and the arena the team was building, Air Canada Centre, from Slaight and the Bank of Nova Scotia; Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. later renamed itself Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). A drafted player, either an international draftee or a college draftee who is not signed by the team that drafted him, is allowed to sign with any non-NBA team. During the 2002–03 and 2003–04 seasons, they failed to make significant progress, and Carter was traded in 2004 to the New Jersey Nets. Giveaways are sometimes bundled with tickets to encourage attendance. In 2006, James helped his team defeat the Washington Wizards in the first round of playoff action. The Raptors won their first ever playoff series as they defeated New York 3–2, advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the first time in franchise history. The Clippers had played the Memphis Grizzlies a week before the playoffs to determine the fifth and sixth seed. On December 19, 2014, the Toronto Raptors unveiled a new primary logo, which the team described as "a circular shield with a ball torn by the unmistakable attack of a Raptor".[187]. [151] Four days later, the Raptors broke their franchise record with their 49th win of the season. [146] On April 11, 2014, the Raptors lost to the New York Knicks, 108–100, but since the division rival Brooklyn Nets lost to the Atlanta Hawks the same night, the Raptors became Atlantic Division champions for the first time since 2007. This is part of a promotion made by the Raptors' official pizza sponsor. Analysts had predicted Babcock got the bad end of the deal,[82] and the trade eventually cost him his job. [130] Toronto then drafted DeMar DeRozan with the ninth pick, enabling them to fill a spot on the wings. The rivalry began to heat up as the two teams faced each other in the opening round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs, with the Nets winning the series, 4–2, after a go-ahead shot by Richard Jefferson with 8 seconds left in Game 6 ensuring a 98–97 defeat for the Raptors. [121][122] Whereas the preceding season was considered a success, the 2007–08 campaign was considered a disappointment. However, an agreement was reached whereby the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), which is the provincial lottery corporation that regulates gambling in Ontario, agreed to stop offering wagering on all NBA games in exchange for a donation by the Raptors of $5 million in its first three years and $1 million annually afterwards to its charitable foundation to compensate OLG for its loss of revenue. [124] Despite the introduction of O'Neal, who brought home the rebounds and the blocks, and a much improved Bargnani, the Raptors were too inconsistent. Since the 2001–02 season, the Raptors have been the only Canadian-based team in the league, as the Grizzlies relocated from Vancouver to Memphis, Tennessee. [165] Despite winning Coach of the Year, Casey was subsequently fired as coach on May 11. Masai was fined $25,000 by the NBA for the quote and later apologized for the excessive language. In 2009, the Raptors Foundation merged with the other charitable arms of MLSE's other sports franchises to form the Team Up Foundation. [41] They had five rookies on their roster, including the 18-year-old Tracy McGrady, who at the time was the youngest player in the NBA. The Toronto Raptors have a rivalry with both the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets. [62][63] Despite the loss, the season is generally considered a watermark for the franchise, given the Raptors' franchise high of 47 wins and advancing beyond the first round of the playoffs.[57][64]. The uniforms themselves underwent changes. When the series shifted to New Jersey, the Nets took charge of the series, winning Games 3 and 4 in routs. Watch NBA Games - Follow the game, scores and stats for NBA matchups. While the Heat competed in the NBA Finals last season, they have tumbled out of the playoff picture this season. On June 25, 2015, the Raptors selected Delon Wright with their first-round pick in the 2015 NBA draft, along with Norman Powell in the second round. The Raptors hold the draft rights to the following unsigned draft picks who have been playing outside the NBA. The fear that Leonard would depart after only one season materialised when he signed for the Los Angeles Clippers. [43][47] MLSE paid a reported $467 million, made up of $179 million for the team and $288 million for the arena. Both Christie and Williams became talented players in their own right; Christie developed into one of the elite defenders in the NBA,[52] while Williams improved his play on the offensive end. [178] The Warriors, which were making their fifth consecutive finals appearance and featured multiple All-Stars, were favourites to win. [35][42][43] This left Slaight with 90 per cent and the Bank of Nova Scotia with 10 per cent. Later that year, in July, the NBA Expansion Committee visited various existing and proposed stadium sites along with the bid contenders. [80] Carter was finally traded mid-season, ending his six-year tenure. Attendance dipped slightly between 2003 and 2006. Coming into Game 5, both teams were confident, but the Pistons were expected to pull out the win easily. [66] With 10.7 seconds left in the game, and the Raptors down 85–82 with possession of the ball, Childs raced down the court and shot a three-pointer that missed badly, apparently trying to draw a foul on the play,[69] instead of passing to a wide-open Curry. [66] The Raptors appeared to be on their way to another competitive season with a 29–21 record going into the All-Star break[66] and with Carter the top vote-getter for the All-Star game for the third consecutive year. [149] On March 27, 2015, the Raptors clinched the Atlantic division title with a 94–83 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Also in the running were Maple Leaf Garden Ltd., predecessor to MLSE and the owners of Maple Leaf Gardens. The Sixers relied on Allen Iverson and Dikembe Mutombo for their respective offensive and defensive abilities, along with steady help from Aaron McKie. The Raptors finished 41-41, six fewer wins than the previous season, but still good enough for a playoff spot as the 6th seed. [94], The 2005–06 season was not a total disaster. The six Welcome Toronto home games also featured an OVO-themed black and gold home court, with chevrons pointing north. Toronto interim manager Jack McCloskey said: "While the blame for that certainly does not rest on O'Neill and his staff alone, we need a change. Howard would finish off the series in Game 5 as impressively as he started: 21 points, 21 rebounds, 3 blocks. [213] However, beginning in the 2018–19 season, the promotion added an extra requirement of purchasing a first slice before receiving the free second slice, though it requires using the Pizza Pizza mobile app instead of using a Raptors ticket, allowing Raptors fans who did not attend the game to receive a free second slice after purchasing a first slice. They set NBA attendance records in their 2000, 2001, and 2002 seasons when they made the playoffs. For the 2004–05 season, the team moved into the Atlantic Division and the Raptors decided to revamp the team. They came within 1 game of making the conference finals for the first time, but lost Game 7 to the Suns. [11] However, the Huskies folded after the initial 1946–47 season. The Detroit Pistons clinched the best record in the NBA, earning home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. Despite Toronto's improved defensive performances, Carter's offence was sorely missed in the first-round series against the second-seeded Detroit Pistons. [132] Around the same time, Parker headed for the Cleveland Cavaliers,[133] while Indiana point guard Jarrett Jack was added and Nesterovič brought back to provide cover for the big men. [55], Still, playoff failures and Butch Carter's media altercations surrounding Camby led Grunwald to replace Carter prior to the 2000–01 season with Lenny Wilkens, a Hall of Fame coach and player with more than 30 years of coaching experience. Initial sentiment was in favour of reviving the Huskies nickname, but team management realized it would be nearly impossible to design a logo that did not substantially resemble that of the Minnesota Timberwolves. [66] The comeback featured some of the Raptors' best defence of the season, along with inspired performances by Davis and Keon Clark.