The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at Scotiabank Arena, which it shares with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team was founded in 1995 as part of the NBA's expansion into Canada, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies. 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.
Marcus Dion Camby is an American former professional basketball player who played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named Defensive Player of the Year during the 2006–07 NBA season, leading the league in blocked shots per game. Camby is also a four-time member of the NBA All-Defensive Team and is 12th on the NBA's all-time career blocks list.
Jerry Darnell Stackhouse is an American basketball coach and former professional player who most recently was the head coach of the Vanderbilt Commodores men's team. Stackhouse played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels and played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was a two-time NBA All-Star. He was the head coach of Raptors 905 and an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies. Additionally, he has worked as an NBA TV analyst.
Damon Lamon Stoudamire, nicknamed Mighty Mouse, is an American college basketball coach and former player who is currently the head coach for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m), 171 lb (78 kg) point guard was selected with the 7th overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 1995 NBA draft and won the 1995–96 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He played collegiately at the University of Arizona, and professionally for the Toronto Raptors, Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs.
Douglas Dale Christie is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Robert John Pack Jr. is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He last coached the Rwandan club REG of the Basketball Africa League A 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) point guard, he played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Eric Scott Montross was an American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for eight seasons with the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, and Toronto Raptors. Born in Indianapolis, he played for Lawrence North High School before enrolling at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to play for the Tar Heels.
Edward Lewis Pinckney is an American former professional basketball player.
Thomas Thaddeus Hamilton is an American former professional basketball player.
Michael Dewayne McDonald is a retired American basketball player. McDonald played college basketball for Utah Valley and New Orleans. He played one game in the NBA for the Charlotte Hornets.
The 1995–96 NBA season was the Toronto Raptors' first season in the National Basketball Association. The Raptors, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, played their first games in 1995, and were the first NBA teams to play in Canada since the 1946–47 Toronto Huskies. Retired All-Star point guard and former Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas became the team's General Manager. The Raptors revealed a new primary logo of a dinosaur playing basketball, and got new pinstripe uniforms with the logo on the front of their jerseys, adding purple and red to their color scheme.
The Fab Five was the 1991 University of Michigan men's basketball team recruiting class that many consider one of the greatest recruiting classes of all time. The class consisted of Detroit natives Chris Webber (#4) and Jalen Rose (#5), Chicago native Juwan Howard (#25), and two recruits from Texas: Plano's Jimmy King (#24) and Austin's Ray Jackson (#21). The Fab Five were the first team in NCAA history to compete in the championship game with all-freshman starters.
The 1995 NBA expansion draft was the tenth expansion draft in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on June 24, 1995, so that the newly founded Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies could acquire players for the upcoming 1995–96 season. Toronto was awarded an expansion team on September 30, 1993, while Vancouver was awarded the league's 29th franchise on April 27, 1994. They were the first NBA teams based in Canada since the 1946–47 season Toronto Huskies.
John Eddie Long is an American former professional basketball player.
Cory Ephram Joseph is a Canadian professional basketball player who last played for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays the point guard position and was previously the captain of the Canadian national team.
The 1994–95 NBA season was the 76ers 46th season in the National Basketball Association, and 32nd season in Philadelphia. The 76ers had the sixth overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft, and selected Sharone Wright out of Clemson University. During the off-season, the team signed free agents Scott Williams, Jeff Grayer, then signed Willie Burton during the first month of the regular season. Under new head coach John Lucas, the Sixers struggled losing six of their first seven games. After a 10–16 start to the season, they went on a nine-game losing streak between December and January, as Jeff Malone only played just 19 games due to a sprained ankle, averaging 18.4 points per game. After holding a 14–34 record at the All-Star break, the Sixers posted an eight-game losing streak in March, and finished sixth in the Atlantic Division with a 24–58 record.
Tyler Cameron Ennis McIntyre is a Canadian professional basketball player for Napoli Basket of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He played college basketball for the Syracuse Orange, where he was considered one of the top freshmen in 2013–14. He was drafted 18th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2014 NBA draft.
DeAndre' Pierre' Bembry is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Saint Joseph's University. He was named Atlantic 10 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 2016, becoming the first Hawk to receive the honor since Ahmad Nivins in 2009. He was also named first-team All-Atlantic 10 for the second year in a row and was named to the All-Defensive Team. Bembry averaged 17.5 points and 7.6 rebounds a game as a junior. He was drafted 21st overall in the 2016 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks. He has also played for the Toronto Raptors and the Brooklyn Nets.
Terence B. Davis II is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Rip City Remix of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Ole Miss Rebels. After going undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft, he signed with the Toronto Raptors and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2020.
Kira Aundrea Lewis Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide and was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft.
