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 ed 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
Pascal Siakam Taught the Toronto Raptors a Lesson in Respect Before Rewarding Their Commitment to Him
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:
Speaking on ‘The Young Man and The Three’ podcast, Pascal Siakam hinted that he gets more respect from the Indiana Pacers than he did at the end of his Toronto Raptors tenure. Siakam was traded by the Raptors to the Pacers in January last year for Bruce Brown, Kira Lewis, Jordan Nwora, two 2024 first-round […]
The weeks before the NBA postseason can often drag. Some teams are clawing for playoff position, but many top seeds begin to cruise and the league’s bottom feeders turn to full tanking mode. Still, there are always exciting things happening around the league, even if they aren’t receiving as much mainstream attention. Let’s discuss one […]
Making a rare public appearance on the ‘Roommates Show’ hosted by Jalen Brunson and Jason Hart, James Dolan made a stunning revelation. He said that, before the Toronto Raptors traded Vince Carter to what was then the New Jersey Nets, the New York Knicks nearly acquired him. Around the 38 minute mark of the episode, […]
With the All-Star Break in the rearview mirror, it’s time for another NBA Rookie Ladder update (here’s our last one). Let’s dive into how this rookie class is faring heading into the final stretch of the season. As always, we’re only including rookies who play more than 15 minutes per game (rounded up). Tier placement […]
When you zig, we zag. That’s been the Toronto Raptors’ MO for the last four seasons at the trade deadline. When you assume they’ll sell off their players to the highest bidders, they instead use draft capital to acquire players (and their Bird Rights) in hopes of injecting talent onto their roster. They followed that […]
After trading their disgruntled superstar, the Miami Heat aren’t done making moves. They used a player involved in the Jimmy Butler deal (PJ Tucker) to acquire Davion Mitchell from the Toronto Raptors. Along with Tucker, the Heat will also be sending a second-round pick and cash to the Raptors. ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to […]
The Toronto Raptors are acquiring Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Bruce Brown Jr., Kelly Olynyk, the Indiana Pacers’ 2026 top-four protected first-round pick and a second-round pick to be detailed later. ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report the trade, while Sportsnet’s Blake Murphy has clarified which first-round pick Toronto […]
Over the past three seasons, one of the league’s representatives in the Finals and two of its champions — the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets — have relied on a previously ill-cast “star” to play a vital role during a lucrative playoff run, all of whom were acquired at the NBA trade deadline. For […]
Jared McCain’s injury clouds the first rookie ladder of 2025 (here’s our last of 2024, as a refresher). Despite his strong production and part-time offensive engine work, McCain’s time missed exempts him. No other rookie has come close to his output, but quite a few have some cases as the highest impact first-year pro. As […]
Immanuel Quickley will make his long-awaited return to the Toronto Raptors’ lineup on Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets. The dynamic point guard has only played in three games this season, the last coming on Nov. 10 against the Los Angeles Lakers. He has since been out due to a partial tear in the UCL […]
