1. Toronto had a pro team before the NBA even existed



Back in 1946, Toronto already had a professional basketball team called the Toronto Huskies. The Huskies played in the Basketball Association of America, one of the leagues that preceded the NBA. They played only a single season, finishing with a league-worst record of 22W - 38L (tied with the Boston Celtics).



2. Jurassic Park might have played a role in naming the team



A few years before the then unnamed Toronto expansion team played their first NBA Game, the owners decided to ask fans to send in suggestions for team names. Some of the names that made it to the shortlist were Dragons, Beavers, Scorpions, Tarantulas, Hogs, Terriers, and Raptors. Jurassic was the big movie during that time in the 90s which most likely influenced management to choose the Raptors name.



3. The first player they signed was an Italian



No, it wasn't Andrea Bargnani. Before the Raptors participated in the expansion and rookie drafts, they signed Italian guard, Vincenzo Esposito. He played only one year in the NBA and returned to Europe after Toronto's first season. While in Italy, he earned two MVP awards, was the Italian league top scorer thrice, and was once part of the Italian national men's basketball team.



4. There are two Hall of Famers that have played for Toronto



After spending his first 17 seasons in Houston, Hakeem Olajuwon was traded to the Raptors in 2001. That would be his last season in the league and he averaged career lows in points (7.1), rebounds (6), and blocks (1.5). The other Hall of Fame player who suited up for the Raptors was Tracy McGrady. TMac played his first three seasons with the Raptors before becoming the great scorer we all know him as today. In a few years, expect Vince Carter to be added to this list.



5. If not for the Raptors, the Chicago Bulls would still hold the record for most wins in a season



In the first year of the Toronto Raptors, they faced the Chicago Bulls 4 times. The Bulls won their first three games but lost by 1 point in their last matchup, 109 - 108. In that game, Michael Jordan was his usual self and scored 36 points. But the scrappy Raptors team  saw six players score in double digits including a 30 point - 11 assist performance from rookie Damon Stoudamire. The Bulls ended the season with a 72-10 slate which was bested by Golden State a few  years ago after they finished 73-9 in 2016.


Banner image screen grabbed form Youtube