TORONTO RAPTORS
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association. The Toronto Raptors are based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The Toronto Raptors were founded on September 30, 1993, as the league was establishing expansion teams in Canada. The Vancouver Grizzlies were part of this expansion also. They did not play their first game until 1995 however. These two teams were the first to be based in Canada.
The Toronto Raptors originally played in the SkyDome and were there from 1995 to 1999. They currently play at the Air Canada Centre and are owned by the Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. They have won one divisional title which occurred during the 2006-07 season.
Like most expansion teams, the Raptors struggled in their early years. In 1998 through a draft day trade, they acquired Vince Carter. The team set league attendance records and the NBA Playoffs in 2000, 2001, and in 2002. Carter was one of the main reasons they had a franchise high of 47 wins and had their first playoff win in 2001.
The Toronto Raptors has not had much success since then. In 2004, Vince Carter was traded to the New Jersey Nets. After Carter left, Chris Bosh emerged as the teams new leader. The Raptors had the first overall NBA draft selection in 2006 and drafted Andrea Bargnani. With the revamping of their roster, they qualified for their first playoff berth in five years capturing the Atlantic Division with 47 wins. They made the playoffs the following year, but not the next. Bosh would later sign with the Miami Heat in 2010.
AAA Sports Memorabilia has a great selection of autographed Toronto Raptors collectibles, including autographed 8x10 photos, bats, gloves, and jerseys. Some of the most popular players from the Toronto Raptors include:
Vince Carter,
Chris Bosh, Jalen Rose, Keon Clark, Doug Christie, Charles Oakley, Dell Curry, Anthony Parker, Jerome Williams, Marcus Camby, Jose Calderon, Alvin Williams, Andrea Bargnani, Tracy McGrady, Morris Peterson, Antonio Davis, and Damon Stoudamire.
