Toronto Raptors
In 1946, the Toronto Raptors competed against the New York Knickerbockers in the first game in NBA history. At the time, the NBA was known as the American Basketball Association; the Raptors were known as the Toronto Huskies. The Huskies folded shortly thereafter. But the franchise reemerged in 1993 when NBA Commissioner David Stern's recommendation for a Toronto expansion team was approved.
Toronto team management chose “Raptors” from 11 team names submitted by NBA fans. Isiah Thomas, the franchise's first general manager, helped create the roster via the NBA's 1995 expansion draft. After the Raptors endured several years of poor seasons, draft-day acquisition Vince Carter guided the team to its first playoff series in 2001. Chris Bosh led the team for several seasons of success in the post-Carter years.
After Bosh's departure to Miami, Toronto experienced a slump that only ended when DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry arrived, helping Toronto earn five Division titles. Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, and Marc Gasol joined the team — sans DeRozan — in 2018. The Raptors won their first NBA championship in 2019, the finale of a successful season that also included Toronto's first Eastern Conference title.
- Founded: 1995
- Championships: 1 championship (2019)
- Additional achievements: 1 conference title (2019) and seven division titles (2007, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020)
- Arena: Scotiabank Arena
- Former team name: Toronto Huskies
Featured Articles:
Kawhi Leonard Reveals an Unexpected Reason Why He Couldn’t Stay With the Raptors
Kyle Lowry Once Found Himself Facing a Battery Charge After Things Got Heated During a Pickup Game
Visit the Toronto Raptors at NBA.com.
Read the latest articles about the Toronto Raptors:
DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry are both unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2021. If the two former Toronto Raptor teammates want to reunite, they could do it with the Dallas Mavericks and add veteran scoring and defensive help to Mavs star Luka Doncic, as well as being a positive presence in the organization.
Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson and Canadian rapper Drake have a long-running beef that goes back to the 2019 NBA Finals. Drake recently took to social media to mock Thompson. The Toronto native hit-maker took shot at the injured star on Instagram which many notable people found hilarious, including Thompson’s Warriors teammate, Draymond Green.
Pascal Siakam has dreamed of gifting his mother a house for years, and the Raptors star was finally able to do so this Mother's Day.
The Blazers-Raptors trade on Thursday involving Gary Trent Jr. is eerily identical to one involving his father, Gary Trent Sr., 23 years ago.
In 2011, Kyle Lowry didn't appreciate some calls that a referee made during a pickup basketball game and found himself in legal hot water.
The Toronto Raptors are rumored to be interested in trading Kyle Lowry. Which teams are interested and what could a deal look like?
Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet turned down the opportunity to be drafted by two NBA teams because he had a better idea about how to reach the bigtime.
Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has started playing back-to-back games for the first time since April 2017. He could make the difference in the team's playoff seeding.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the best players in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks. However, he almost ended up with the Toronto Raptors.
Kawhi Leonard recruited Serge Ibaka to the Los Angeles Clippers. However, the high-scoring forward did it in his typical low-key way.
