- 1993
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Toronto Raptors Team Formation
The Toronto Raptors were established on November 4, 1993, when the NBA, as part of its expansion into Canada, awarded its 28th franchise to a group headed by Toronto businessman John Bitove for a then-record expansion fee of $125 million. Bitove and Allan Slaight of Slaight Communications each owned 39.5%, with the Bank of Nova Scotia (10%), Vice President Isiah ... -
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
With Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLG) aging, MLGL began planning for a new home for the Maple Leafs in the 1990s. Following years of acrimonious negotiations with the Toronto Raptors on a shared new arena, MLGL purchased 100% of the basketball club and the arena they had begun constructing, the Air Canada Centre (ACC), from Allan Slaight and the ... -
Air Canada Centre
Construction of the Air Canada Centre was started by the Toronto Raptors under its initial ownership group headed by Canadian businessman John Bitove. Groundbreaking took place in March 1997. While construction was in progress, the Raptors and their partially completed arena were purchased by MLSE, which was contemplating building their own arena for the Maple Leafs to replace the aging ... -
Bosh Leaves for Miami
Before the 2010 – 2011 season began, there was much anticipation around the league over the fates of an elite pack of free agents, featuring the likes of Bosh, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Amar’e Stoudemire. Bosh and James eventually chose to converge in Miami with Wade, and the sign-and-trade transaction that ensued resulted in the Raptors receiving two first-round ... -
NBA Finals Winner 2019
The 2019 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s 2018 – 2019 season and conclusion of the season’s playoffs. In the best-of-seven playoff held from May 30 through June 13, 2019, the Eastern Conference champion Toronto Raptors defeated the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors, four games to two, for the franchise’s first NBA championship. ...
History of the Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member club of the league’s Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA’s expansion into Canada. When the Grizzlies relocated to Memphis, Tennessee to become the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001, the Raptors became the only Canadian-based team in the NBA. They originally played their home games at the SkyDome (since renamed Rogers Centre in 2005), before moving eastward along Bremner Boulevard to the Air Canada Centre in 1999.
Established
1995
City
Toronto
League History
1995 – Present / National Basketball Association
Team History
1995 – Present / Toronto Raptors
Nickname
Raptors – The ownership group of Toronto’s prospective expansion team conducted extensive marketing research across Canada in 1994 and held a nationwide vote that helped team officials come up with a list of potential nicknames. The final selection – Toronto Raptors – was unveiled on Canadian national television on May 15, 1994. Raptors, which Jurassic Park helped popularize the year before, was eventually chosen over runners-up Beavers, Bobcats, Dragons, Grizzlies, Hogs, Raptors, Scorpions, T-Rex, Tarantulas, and Terriers.
Championship
NBA Championships 1
2019
Arena
2019 - Present / Scotiabank Arena
1999 – 2018 / Air Canada Centre
1995 – 1999 / SkyDome
Owner
1998 – Present / Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment
1997 – 1998 / Allan Slaight
1995 – 1997 / John Bitove
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
Retired Number
*Blue is this team’s history
