document_title: Vidhan Parishad

question_text: what is the meaning of mlc in politics

question_tokens: what is the meaning of mlc in politics

root

text: Vidhan Parishad

text: Membership[edit]

text: Each Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) serves for a six-year term, with terms staggered so that the terms of one-third of a Council's members expire every two years. This arrangement parallels that for the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India.

tag: p

text: MLCs must be citizens of India, at least 30 years' old, mentally sound, not an insolvent, and on the voters' list of the state for which he or she is contesting an election. He or she may not be a Member of Parliament at the same time.

text: The size of the Vidhan Parishad cannot be more than one-third the membership of the Vidhan Sabha. However, its size cannot be less than 40 members (except in Jammu and Kashmir, where there are 36 by an Act of Parliament.)

text: MLCs are chosen in the following manner:

text:
One-third are elected by members of local bodies such as Municipalities, Gram Sabhas/Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishads.
One-third are elected by members of Legislative Assemblies of the State from among the persons who are not members of the Assembly.
One-sixth are nominated by the Governor from persons having knowledge or practical experience in fields such as literature, science, arts, the co-operative movement and social service.
One-twelfth are elected by persons who are graduates of three years' standing residing in that state.
One-twelfth are elected by persons engaged for at least three years in teaching in educational institutions within the state not lower than secondary schools, including colleges and universities.

text: Proposed Vidhan Parishads[edit]

text:
In 2010 the Parliament passed an Act to re-establish a Legislative Council for an eighth state, Tamil Nadu, but implementation of the Act has been put on hold pending legal action;[2] the state government has also expressed its opposition to the council's revival.[3]
Union Cabinet of India has cleared the State of Assam to form a Legislative Council on 28 November 2013
Odisha state is preparing to set up a legislative council after conducting a study in Karnataka and Maharashtra.[4]

text: Abolition and revival[edit]

text: The existence of a Legislative Council has proven politically controversial. A number of states that have had their Council abolished have subsequently requested its re-establishment; conversely, proposals for the re-establishment of the Council for a state have also met with opposition. Proposals for abolition or re-establishment of a state's Legislative Council require confirmation by the Parliament of India.

text: In April 2007, the State of Andhra Pradesh re-established its Legislative Council. The State's main opposition party, the Telugu Desam Party, had stated that it would abolish the council again if it came to power in the state.

text: After the victory of the Akali Dal-BJP in Punjab, newly elected Chief Ministers Prakash Singh Badal stated that he would re-constitute the state's Vidhan Parishad.


document_title: List of This Is Us characters

question_text: who is the character tess in this is us

question_tokens: who is the character tess in this is us

text: List of This Is Us characters

text: Main characters[edit]

text: Family tree[edit]

text: The characters in green have regular roles on the show. Dotted lines indicate a parental relationship through adoption, and dashed lines indicate either divorced, or widowed (or similarly separated), characters.

text:
Jack PearsonRebecca PearsonMiguel RivasWilliam HillLaurel

SophieKevin PearsonKate PearsonToby DamonRandall PearsonBeth Pearson

Tess PearsonAnnie PearsonDeja

tag: table

text: Jack Pearson[edit]

text: Jack Pearson (August 31, 1944 – January 26, 1998),[2][3] portrayed by Milo Ventimiglia, is Rebecca's first husband (until he dies), and the father of Kevin, Kate, and Randall.[4] Jack had a brother named Nick.[5]

text: Jack had a rough childhood because of his abusive, alcoholic father Stanley Pearson, causing them to have a strained relationship. Stanley does not know that Jack has married, so when Jack finds out that he and Rebecca are expecting triplets, he goes to his father asking for money, citing gambling debts, rather than telling him that he intends to buy a house for his family.[6] When Stanley is in the nursing home dying, he meets Rebecca and his granddaughter Kate for the first time. Jack is camping with Kevin and Randall when Rebecca contacts him about his father dying, but Jack refuses to see him.[5]

text: Jack enlists in the Army after his younger brother Nick is drafted.[7] Nick dies in the war. [5][8] (After Jack takes Randall to Washington, D.C. on a college tour to Howard University, he takes Randall to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and tells him how the war affected him; this may be the first time that Jack has shared about his Vietnam  experiences to a member of the Pearson family—including Rebecca.)[9][10]

text: After serving in the war, and working as a manual laborer, Jack becomes a construction foreman. When he wants to buy the house for his family, he approaches his boss and gets a raise to $17,000 a year (equivalent to more than $49,000 in 2016), making him the highest paid foreman at the company.[6] He dreams of opening his own firm, "Big Three Homes", but puts his dreams on hold in order to provide a steady income for his children by getting a desk job.[11] However, he later decides to start the business, though the Big Three are about to start college.[12]

text: Two of the triplets (the third triplet was stillborn) and Randall (who had been left at a fire station) are all born on Jack's 36th birthday.[4] Jack always wanted to find out who Randall's biological father was, and never knew that Rebecca had found him.[13]

text: Jack struggles with alcoholism while the children are young, but he stops drinking to focus more on his family.[14] (Sometimes he vents his anger on a punching bag to avoid drinking after a tough day.)[15] However, he relapses into alcoholism when he has a drink after a disagreement and argument with his wife, who wants to go on tour with a band with a member she'd once dated.[16] His drinking continues for some time until he decides to deal with the problem by attending AA meetings.[15] His sobriety and AA work continue for at least 6 months.[9]

text: Jack dies when his children are 17,[2] and Kate keeps his ashes with her.[17][18] On the night of the Super Bowl, Jack, Rebecca, Kate, and Randall go to bed for the night (Kevin is at a party with his girlfriend Sophie). [19] Previously, a smoke alarm was shown to be missing batteries, and thus was inoperable.[12] An old slow cooker given years previous by a neighbor is shown to have a faulty switch, which sparks and flames, setting a towel and the house ablaze.

text: Jack saves Kate and Randall from the fire by guiding them to his and Rebecca's bedroom. He then hoists them down from the first story roof. Kate is worried about her dog, so Jack goes back inside and gets the dog and family pictures. Jack is hospitalized for smoke inhalation, which causes stress on his heart and eventually causes fatal cardiac arrest.[20]

text: Rebecca Pearson[edit]

text: Rebecca Pearson née Malone (born 1950 or 1951), portrayed by Mandy Moore, is Jack's widow, Miguel Rivas' second wife (after Jack died), and the mother of Kevin, Kate, and Randall.[4]

text: She strives to be a better mother to her children,[21] and has issues with Jack's alcoholism.[14] She has always known that William is Randall's father, but keeps them apart as she was afraid that he would try to take Randall back.[13]

text: Rebecca always wanted to be a singer, but gives up on her dreams in order to focus on her family.[22] In the mid 1990s, she has a chance to become a singer again by joining a band with her ex-boyfriend. Jack is upset after finding out about their history, which causes a rift between Rebecca and Jack.[16]

text: When the house catches fire and Jack suffers smoke inhalation, at the hospital, since Jack appears to be fine, Rebecca is making reservations for hotel rooms—unaware that Jack is coding and staff are rushing to him. After making reservations, Rebecca gets a candy bar for her and Jack. Rebecca turns around and the doctor explains the cause of Jack's cardiac arrest. In shock, Rebecca takes a bite of the candy bar, refusing to believe Jack is dead. She goes to his room to tell him what the doctor said, only to see him lifeless. She immediately shuts down upon seeing him dead. She then drives to Miguel's and tells him the news, then goes in to talk to Kate and Randall. [3]

text: Since she was out of Jack's room when he died, Rebecca gets the Pearsons to the funeral early, because she wants to be present when the urn with Jack's ashes are brought out. After Jack's funeral, Dr. K lets Rebecca know that she has always been strong. This encouragement gives her the strength to let Kevin and Randall know that neither of them need to be "the man of the house", since they are teenagers and should be dating, and tells Kate not to blame herself for Jack's death because Jack made his own decisions. She also gets the courage to drive across a bridge she has feared, while taking the "Big Three" to a Bruce Springsteen concert that Jack had previously obtained tickets for the night of the funeral.[8]

text: At least 10 years after Jack's death, Rebecca posts pictures of Tess, her first grandchild, on Facebook, then gets a message from Jack's best friend, Miguel Rivas.[23] Rebecca later marries Miguel.[14]

text: Kevin Pearson[edit]

text: Kevin Pearson (born August 31, 1980), portrayed by Justin Hartley (current day), Logan Shroyer (age 15—17), and Parker Bates (ages 8—10), is Jack and Rebecca's son, and Kate and Randall's brother.[4] He is "Number One" of the "Big Three", being the first of the surviving triplets to be born.[4]

text: Shortly before his tenth birthday, Kevin becomes attracted to Kate's best friend, Sophie, whom he marries when they are older. Kevin and Sophie decide that she will stay in New York and he will move to California to pursue acting, believing that their marriage can handle the distance. Kevin and Sophie later divorce, 12 years prior to season 1, due to the distance and Kevin cheating on her.[18][24]

text: Kevin has always struggled with worrying about what people think of him, which causes him to have a strained relationship with Randall as they grow up.[14] Kevin is visibly envious of Randall, who has always excelled in everything and receives more attention from their parents, but he doesn't realize that Randall has longed for the same attention from him. In high school he plays football, as a quarterback, wearing number twelve one year and number one the next.[22][25] (His number one jersey is on display with Kevin's trophies when he visits the high school at age 37, for an alumni celebration.)[25] His goal of a football career ends when his knee is injured from a tackle during a game.[25]

text: When the series starts, Kevin is an actor in Los Angeles, starring as the lead on a long-running sitcom called The Manny, a sitcom in the tradition of Who's the Boss and The Nanny. He abruptly quits that show on his 36th birthday, criticizing the script quality, the producer's reluctance to add nuance to the show, and the audience.[4] After quitting his job, Kevin decides to move to New York to pursue a career as a serious stage actor on Broadway.[26] Upon arriving in New York, he gets hired as the lead role, David, in Back of an Egg, opposite a cynical actress named Olivia Maine (who thinks Kevin does not have the ability, but that he was hired because his being "The Manny" will sell tickets).[26]

text: When Kevin has trouble connecting with the emotions needed for his role, he begins spending time with Olivia, who tries to get him to connect with his feelings.[11] Kevin and Olivia briefly date, but break up after she brings her ex-boyfriend to the Pearson family cabin.[13] After his breakup with Olivia, Kevin begins dating the writer of the play, Sloane Sandburg, attending Hanukkah with her family and inviting her to the Christmas Eve party at Randall's house.[27]

text: Sloane takes over as the lead of the play when Olivia disappears and the play is at risk. Kevin decides to self-fund the performance, in order to save it.[6] After Kevin and Sloane break up, he reconnects with Sophie and begins a relationship with her again.[18][28]

text: Director Ron Howard sees Kevin's play and casts him in a war movie.[28] Kevin has trouble with his lines when he can not focus after Kate (visiting the set) talks with costar Sylvester Stallone about her dad, and then Stallone talks to Kevin about his dad. Kevin also re-injures his knee (an old football injury) during an explosion scene on the movie set.[29]

text: As a result of the injury, Kevin becomes addicted to pain medication and alcohol, and allows his relationship with Sophie to deteriorate by telling her that he saw a future with her as a nightmare, although he fails to specify that this was due to his alcoholism and drug addition.[30] One day after a brief visit with Randall, Kevin is speeding down a road, unaware that Tess is hiding in the back seat; Kevin is pulled over and charged with DUI, and Randall and Beth become angry with Kevin for endangering Tess.[9] The judge orders Kevin to go to rehab.[2]

text: As part of Kevin's ongoing efforts to rehabilitate, he is determined to make amends with everyone. He settles things with his mom (who was hurt during the rehab family session, tearfully revealing that Kevin was the first to leave after Jack's death.)[6] Kevin finds out from Miguel that the thought of his being in love with Rebecca never crossed his mind while Jack was alive, and Miguel reassures him that he loves Rebecca now and is not going anywhere.[12] When Kevin attempts to make things right with Sophie, she tells him to not say anything and to just leave her with the memories of how he was at 10, or 17, or when their marriage was good.[31] Kevin reconciles with Randall by helping him fix up the apartment building William lived in, and the two share with each other how odd it feels that they could outlive their dad.[31] On Super Bowl Sunday, about 20 years after Jack's death, Kevin visits the memorial tree with some of his dad's ashes, to talk with him, vowing to make him proud.[3] (Kevin was at a party with Sophie when the house caught fire.)[31][3]

text: Kate Pearson[edit]

text: Kate Emily Pearson, nicknamed "Bug" by her mother (born August 31, 1980), portrayed by Chrissy Metz (current day), Hannah Zeile (age 15—17), and Mackenzie Hancsicsak (ages 8—10), is Jack and Rebecca's daughter, and Kevin and Randall's sister.[4] She is "Number Two" of the "Big Three", being the second and last of the surviving triplets to be born.[4]

text: Kate is obese and has struggled with issues of self-esteem her entire life, which she greatly attributes to her strained relationship with her mother and the death of her father.[4][28] Her relationship with her mother leads to depression, for which she later takes Prozac. She discontinues taking this drug due to the side effect of weight gain.[27]

text: Kate lives in Los Angeles and is initially her brother Kevin's personal assistant.[32] When Kevin decides to move to New York, he fires her in order to allow her to build her own life, apart from him.[26] She is an ardent Pittsburgh Steelers fan and has a routine where she watches the games with her dad's ashes.[17] At nine years old, she has her appendix removed on Christmas Eve.[27]

text: Kate decides to join a weight-loss support group, where she meets Toby. Despite saying that she is not going to get involved with a fat person, she falls for Toby.[4] When Toby decides to not continue with his diet, Kate breaks up with him and decides to go to Randall's for Thanksgiving. During a turbulent plane ride to New Jersey, Kate has an epiphany and decides to have gastric bypass surgery.[33] After consulting with a doctor, she instead decides to enter a fat camp to attempt to lose the weight without surgery.[18] When Toby surprises Kate by showing up at Randall's house for Christmas, he tells her that he can live without pizza and junk food, but that he cannot live without her.[27] Toby collapses from a heart attack, and is taken to the hospital.

text: After Toby's heart surgery, Kate and Toby decide to get engaged.[6] Kate later finds out she is pregnant.[34] Kate and Toby announce their pregnancy to Kevin, and plan to get married at city hall, but then consider a big wedding.[30] But Kate loses the baby in a miscarriage.[35] Despite some struggle in their relationship after the miscarriage, Toby eventually comes through for Kate.[35] Kate struggles with eating junk food after the miscarriage, which Toby notices when a trash bag broke.[2]

text: Kate had said that her father's death was her fault,[28] and has a fear of caring for dogs.[31] (Jack went back inside their burning house to save her dog, causing smoke inhalation which led to his death in the hospital. Afterwards, Kate wanted to give away the dog.)[3] She blames herself even though Rebecca told Kate after Jack's funeral not to blame herself, because Jack made his own decisions.[8] Every year on Super Bowl Sunday, Kate watches the videotape Jack made of her singing for a Berklee College of Music audition.[3]

text: Randall Pearson[edit]

text: Randall Kenneth Pearson (born August 31, 1980), portrayed by Sterling K. Brown (current day), Niles Fitch (ages 15—17), and Lonnie Chavis (ages 8—10), is Jack and Rebecca's (adopted) son, and Kate and Kevin's brother.[4] He is "Number Three" of the "Big Three", being adopted after Kevin and Kate were born.[4] On his 36th birthday, he finds his biological father, William, and invites him to his northern New Jersey home.[4]

text: Randall initially works at selling commodity futures based on weather patterns, and is shown to be successful and affluent.[11] However, after a nervous breakdown and some time off, he feels that his firm does not appreciate or respect him, and quits.[16][28]

text: On the day that Randall is born, he is dropped off in front of a firehouse by his biological father, William, and then taken to the hospital, where he is adopted by Jack and Rebecca.[4] Jack and Rebecca originally name him Kyle (the name they had intended for their third child, who was stillborn). Taking William's advice, Rebecca decides to give him his own name, naming him after William's favorite poet, Dudley Randall, although she refuses to let William see Randall.[4][32] This allows them to honor both their stillborn son's memory and Randall, rather than essentially replacing one son with the other.

text: At age nine, Randall’s teacher informs Jack and Rebecca that Randall is a gifted child who is not being challenged enough at his current school. They decide to remove him from public school and send him to Hanes Academy.[11] In high school Randall plays football, wearing number 36.[22]

text: Randall and Kevin have an estranged relationship and don't reconnect until they are 36 years old. At some points in the past, Kevin is shown to openly despise Randall.[14] At a high school football game, where they play on opposing teams, they get in a fight.[22] However, there are also some moments when they act like brothers.[5] When they are teenagers, Kevin is there with Kate to comfort Randall when a woman claims to be his birth mother as a scam to get money.[29] When they are 36, they get in a fight on the street in New York, but Kevin tells onlookers they are brothers.[22] When Randall has his nervous breakdown, Kevin leaves the theater—when opening day is about to start—to comfort Randall.[16]

text: As an adult, Kevin is hurt that Randall doesn't seem to care about his acting career.[22] They begin to reconnect when Kevin needs Randall's advice, but Randall coldly tells him he shouldn't care what he thinks. Eventually, Kevin moves to Randall's house in New Jersey, but they still have some work to do on building their relationship.[26] He loves Thanksgiving and, alternately with Kevin, helps his family recreate a specific childhood Thanksgiving every year, including a 3.4 mile hike, watching Police Academy 3: Back in Training, and imitating a hotel owner known as "Pilgrim Rick".[33]

text: In season 2, Randall wants to adopt a baby (to honor his father's legacy), but decides (with Beth's input) to foster an older child who may otherwise be overlooked by people who would prefer a baby.[36][19] They foster a 12-year old girl named Deja, whose mother Shauna is incarcerated. She shows signs of physical abuse, but Randall and Beth start to win her trust and get her to open up.[29][34][5] When the charges against Shauna are dropped, Deja goes back home with her (over Randall's initial objections). Randall and Beth plan to try fostering again after some time.[9]

text: Beth Pearson[edit]

text: Beth Pearson, portrayed by Susan Kelechi Watson, is Randall's wife, whom he met in college and later married, circa 1999. The couple have two daughters, Annie and Tess.[14] Their marriage is based on honesty where they make an effort not to have secrets from one another. William reveals to Beth that he has met and communicated with Rebecca. This causes Beth to give Rebecca an ultimatum: to either tell Randall or she will. Growing up, Beth lived in a three-bedroom house with 14 other people.[22]

text: After Randall quits his job, Beth takes a job so Randall can be a stay-at-home dad.[19] But after a while, Beth thinks Randall is in "outer space", and Beth thinks working again would be good for Randall.[12]

text: When Annie's pet lizard "Mr. McGiggles" goes missing during a Super Bowl Party, she accidentally steps on him, killing him.[3]

text: Toby Damon[edit]

text: Toby Damon, portrayed by Chris Sullivan is Kate's fiancé.[6] Toby was born in Palm Springs, California.[6] Toby begins dating Kate after they meet at a weight-loss support group.[4] Toby is confident with his own body although obese, and encourages Kate to have better self-esteem. He was previously married to a woman whom Kate views as beautiful and successful, but who treated him badly. Toby gained 90 pounds in the first year after his divorce.[26]

text: Refusing to take Kate's hesitance about the relationship lightly, Toby continually comes up with sweet gestures to win her over.[32] In the beginning, he feels that he has to compete with Kevin for Kate's attention.[32] Despite breaking his weight-loss goals, Toby decides dieting is not for him and goes off his diet, resulting in Kate breaking up with him.[13] He surprises Kate by showing up at Randall's house for Christmas Eve, stating that he can live without pizza and junk food, but that he can not live without her.[27] On Christmas Eve, Toby collapses and ends up in the hospital with an arrhythmia.[27]

text: After Toby's heart surgery, he and Kate decide to get engaged.[6] Kate becomes pregnant with Toby's child, but she miscarries; afterwards, despite an initial struggle in their relationship, Toby comes through for her.[34][35] Kate, around the 20th anniversary of Jack's death, tells Toby he strengthens her and Jack would have loved him.[3]

text: William Hill[edit]

text: William H. "Shakespeare" Hill (died 2017), portrayed by Ron Cephas Jones (recent days) and Jermel Nakia (as a young adult), is Randall's biological father.[32]

text: William is a recovering drug addict who is suffering from terminal stage-four stomach cancer in the present.[26] He grew up in Memphis,[18] and after his mother moved to Pittsburgh he stayed in Memphis to play in his cousin Ricky's band, where he played piano, wrote, and sang.[37] William left the band, with the intention of returning, to care for his dying mother. However, after meeting Randall's mother and becoming a drug addict, he never returned.[37] He got clean after he thought he saw a monkey on the streets, realizing that nothing good comes from a person being on the street at 3:30 am. (He also stayed clean for years after being told by a judge, who offered to help him after his first conviction, to picture the judge's face when he was tempted to do the wrong thing.)[30] William returns to Philadelphia to attend a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, hoping to find and reconnect with his former lover—a man named Jessie.[27]

text: William, who is bisexual, and Jesse never officially break up. Jessie assumes William had died when he vanishes one night—the night William moves in with Randall's family.[27]

text: After leaving Randall at the firehouse, he waits outside the hospital to see him being taken home by Jack and Rebecca. Rebecca realizes that William is Randall's father, after seeing him getting onto the bus as she leaves the hospital. She eventually tracks him down,[14] a secret she keeps from everyone, including Randall and Jack.[13]

text: William always wanted to have a relationship with his child,[13] but promises Rebecca he will stay away for Randall's benefit.[32] He accidentally reveals this secret to Beth one night when they get high together,[22] and Randall accidentally finds out himself, when he finds a letter and photo in William's apartment, from Rebecca, while looking for cassette tapes.[33] (William also tells Randall about the second time William saw Rebecca; he took a cab to follow her home, hoping he could be in Randall's life, but when he was outside the house, he thought better of it.)[9]

text: William eventually succumbs to his cancer during a road trip back to Memphis with Randall.[37] Prior to his death he leaves a letter to Randall's girls, asking them to plan a fun memorial for him. He also sends Beth a postcard from Memphis, saying goodbye and calling her the daughter he never had.[28]

text: Miguel Rivas[edit]

text: Miguel Rivas, portrayed by Jon Huertas, was Jack's best friend and is Rebecca's second husband. Miguel was originally married to Shelly, before they divorced.[24] While it originally seems that his marriage to Rebecca happened shortly after Jack's death, in season 2 it is clarified that the two did not get together until at least ten years after Jack's passing.[23][2] Miguel is initially disliked by Kevin, until Miguel tells Kevin how much he is like his father.[16]

text: Miguel tells Beth and Toby one day, when Kevin is in rehab meeting with "immediate family", that he feels like a real outsider compared to them and the Pearson family.[2] When Kevin gets out of rehab and stays with Rebecca, Miguel is protective of her after she is hurt by Kevin's arrest, and by Kevin criticizing her in his rehab session with the family.[12] Kevin asks Miguel if he was in love with Rebecca when Jack was alive; Miguel says that idea never occurred to him because everyone saw Jack and Rebecca as one entity rather than two separate individuals. But he states that he loves Rebecca now, and is not going anywhere.[12]

text: Sophie[edit]

text: Sophie, portrayed by Alexandra Breckenridge (modern day), Amanda Leighton (ages 15-17), and Sophia Coto (age 10), is Kate's childhood best friend and Kevin's childhood love and his ex-wife. Kevin moves to New York and reconciles with her, after his relationships with Olivia and Sloane end.[18][28] Their relationship initially survives the distance when Kevin is in his movie in L.A., but Kevin breaks up with Sophie, admitting that he can't be the man that he wants to be for her.[30] When Kevin gets sober, he tries making amends to Sophie; she just wants to remember Kevin when they were younger.[3]

text: Tess Pearson[edit]

text: Tess Pearson, portrayed by Eris Baker, is Randall and Beth's older daughter. She was promoted to series regular in season two.[38] She is named after the Tessana ceiling fan Randall was going to purchase when hearing about Beth going into labor.[23] Although not noticed acting out previously, she hides in her uncle Kevin's car (claiming she hates it at her house), when he is pulled over for speeding and charged with DUI;[9] she later claims she was just unhappy that Deja, the foster child, had to go home.[2] Tess admits one day (on the 20th anniversary of Jack's death) she has tried to prevent social workers from calling, worried that recent changes mean Randall wanted a "new life"; Randall reassures her that he will always be devoted to her.[3] Tess is shown in the future as an adult (portrayed by Iantha Richardson[39]), working as a social worker, with an older Randall meeting her for dinner like they have done while Tess was younger.[3]

text: Annie Pearson[edit]

text: Annie Pearson, portrayed by Faithe Herman, is Randall and Beth's younger daughter. She was also promoted to series regular in season two.[38] On William's first night at Randall's family's house, when William wants to step out, Annie convinces William that he might be happy if he stayed. [29]

text: Recurring characters[edit]

text: Introduced in season one[edit]

text: Gerald McRaney as Dr. Nathan Katowski (aka "Dr. K"): The obstetrician who delivered Kate and Kevin.

tag: ul

text: Janet Montgomery as Olivia Maine: a theatre actress, Kevin's former stage partner and ex-girlfriend.

text: Milana Vayntrub as Sloane Sandburg: Kevin's stage partner and ex-girlfriend.

text: Ryan Michelle Bathe as Yvette: A family friend of the Pearsons.

text: Denis O'Hare as Jessie: William's friend and former lover.[27][6]

text: Adam Bartley as Duke: The stable worker at the weight-loss camp Kate attended.

text: Jill Johnson as Laurie: A member of Toby and Kate's weight-loss support group.[4]

text: Peter Onorati as Stanley Pearson: Jack's father.

text: Hari Dhillon as Sanjay Jahiri: Randall's newer former coworker.

text: Caitlin Thompson as Madison: Member of Toby and Kate's support group.

text: Introduced in season two[edit]

text: Lyric Ross as Deja: Randall and Beth's foster child while her mother was incarcerated.[41]

text: Introduced in season three[edit]

text: Michael Angarano as Nicky Pearson: Jack Pearson's younger brother who was killed in action while serving in the Vietnam War alongside his brother.

text: Guest stars[edit]

text: The following is a supplementary list of guest stars, some recurring, who appear in lesser roles. The characters are listed, in alphabetical order by actor, by the season in which they first appeared.

text: Introduced in season one[edit]

text:
Susan Blakely as Anne: Dr. K, a widower, dates and marries Anne.[40][8]
Katie Couric as herself: Kevin had a recurring dream about an interview by Katie Couric going badly.[16]
Wynn Everett as Shelly: Shelly was Miguel's first wife until their divorce.[24]
Brad Garrett as Wes Manning: Wes was the television network president tasked with negotiating Kevin's exit from The Manny.[14]
Jami Gertz as Marin Rosenthal: Marin hired Kate to be an event coordinator.[11]
Ron Howard as himself: After Howard saw Kevin's play, he called Kevin to praise his performance and offered to send him a script for a new movie he was producing.[28]
Mario Lopez as himself: Lopez was hosting a talk show discussing Kevin's on-set meltdown.[4]
Seth Meyers as himself: Meyers saw Kevin and Randall fighting on a New York City sidewalk and approached the pair, recognizing Kevin as a showbiz colleague.[22]
Elizabeth Perkins as Janet Malone: Rebecca's overbearing mother.
Katey Sagal as Lanie Schulz: Kevin's Hollywood agent.[14]
Jimmi Simpson as Andy Fannan: Andy was a co-worker whom Randall talked out of committing suicide on Christmas Eve.[27]
Alan Thicke as himself: Thicke was guest-starring on The Manny when Kevin had his on-set meltdown.[4]

text: Introduced in season two[edit]

text:
Kate Burton as Barbara: Psychologist at Kevin's rehab who facilitates his meeting with the family.[42]
Garrett Morris as Lloyd: A resident living in William's old apartment building.[43]
Debra Jo Rupp as Linda: A social worker who worked with Randall and Beth Pearson when they fostered Deja.[44]
Sylvester Stallone as himself: Actor in a movie Kevin was cast in.[45]
Brian Grazer as himself: The producer of Kevin's movie.


document_title: Toronto Raptors

question_text: when is the last time the raptors made it to playoffs

question_tokens: when is the last time the raptors made it to playoffs

text: Toronto Raptors

text: Franchise history

text: Creation

text: 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 USD.[8][1] Bitove and Allan Slaight of Slaight Communications each owned 44%, with the Bank of Nova Scotia (10%), David Peterson (1%), and Phil Granovsky (1%) being minority partners.[1][9] Wagering on NBA games in Ontario nearly cost Toronto the expansion franchise, due to strict league rules at the time that prohibited gambling. However, an agreement was reached whereby the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), which is the provincial lottery corporation that regulates gambling in Ontario, agreed to stop offering wagering on all NBA games in exchange for a donation by the Raptors of $5 million in its first three years and $1 million annually afterwards to its charitable foundation to compensate OLG for its loss of revenue.[10][11][12] The Raptors, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, played their first game in 1995, and were the first NBA teams based in Canada since the 1946–47 Toronto Huskies of the Basketball Association of America (BAA, being a forerunner league to the present-day NBA),[1] though the Buffalo Braves had played a total of 16 regular season games at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto from 1971 to 1975.[13] The Raptors marked a return of professional basketball to the city after a 48-year absence.

text: Initial sentiment was in favour of reviving the Huskies nickname, but team management realized it would be nearly impossible to design a logo that did not substantially resemble that of the Minnesota Timberwolves.[14] As a result, a nationwide contest was held to help name the team and develop their colours and logo. Over 2,000 entries were narrowed down to eleven prospects: Beavers, Bobcats, Dragons, Grizzlies, Hogs, Raptors, Scorpions, T-Rex, Tarantulas, Terriers and Towers (the eventual runner-up).[1] The final selection—Toronto Raptors—was unveiled on Canadian national television on May 15, 1994:[1] the choice was influenced by the popularity of the 1993 film adaption of the 1990 science fiction novel Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. The name "Raptor" is a common informal name for the Velociraptor, a swift medium-sized dromaeosaurid theropod non-avian dinosaur. On May 24, 1994, the team's logo and first General Manager, Isiah Thomas, were revealed at a press conference.[1] As part of the deal, Thomas received an option to purchase part of the team, reportedly for under market value.[15][16] He would purchase 4.5% in May 1995[17][18] and a further 4.5% in December 1995,[16][19] half each from Bitove and Slaight, decreasing their share to 39.5%.[1][20] The team's colours of bright red, purple, black, and silver were also revealed; "Naismith" silver was chosen as an ode to Canadian James Naismith, the inventor of basketball.[1] The team originally competed in the Central Division,[21] and before the inaugural season began, sales of Raptors merchandise ranked seventh in the league, marking a successful return of professional basketball to Canada.[1]

text: As General Manager, Isiah Thomas quickly staffed the management positions with his own personnel, naming long-time Detroit Pistons assistant Brendan Malone as the Raptors' head coach.[1] The team's roster was then filled as a result of an expansion draft in 1995. Following a coin flip, Toronto was given first choice and selected Chicago Bulls point guard and three-point specialist B. J. Armstrong. Armstrong refused to report for training, and Thomas promptly traded him to the Golden State Warriors for power forwards Carlos Rogers and Victor Alexander.[1] Thomas then selected a wide range of players in the expansion draft, including veterans Jerome Kersey, Willie Anderson and his former Pistons teammate John Salley.[1]

text: Subsequent to the expansion draft, the Raptors landed the seventh pick in the NBA draft lottery, behind their fellow 1995 expansion club, the Vancouver Grizzlies. Thomas selected Damon Stoudamire, a point guard out of Arizona, around whom the franchise would seek to construct its near future. However, the selection of Stoudamire was met with boos from fans at the 1995 NBA draft at the SkyDome in Toronto, many of whom wanted Ed O'Bannon of UCLA, an NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player.[1]

text: 1995–1999: Struggles of a new franchise

text: In the team's first official NBA game, Alvin Robertson scored the first NBA points in Raptors history,[22] while Stoudamire recorded 10 points and 10 assists in a 94–79 victory over the New Jersey Nets.[23] The Raptors concluded their inaugural season with a 21–61 win–loss record,[21] although they were one of the few teams to defeat the Chicago Bulls,[24] who set a then all-time NBA best 72–10 win–loss regular season record. With averages of 19.0 points and 9.3 assists per game, Stoudamire also won the 1995–96 Rookie of the Year Award.[25]

text: In November of the 1996–97 season, Bitove sold his ownership interest in the team to Slaight for $65 million after Slaight had activated a shotgun clause in their partnership agreement,[26][27][28] giving Slaight 79% control of the team,[29] and remaining minority partner of the Bank of Nova Scotia (10%), Thomas (9%) Peterson (1%) and Granovsky (1%).[30] Slaight subsequently acquired the 1%, which had been owned by both Peterson and Granovsky, who had died a year earlier.[9][31][32] The team improved on its win record by nine games.[33] They selected centre Marcus Camby with the second overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft.[34] By the end of the season, Camby earned a berth on the NBA's All-Rookie Team, while Stoudamire continued to play well, averaging 20.2 points and 8.8 assists per game.[1] As in the previous season, the Raptors were one of only 11 teams to topple the eventual 1997 Champions, the Chicago Bulls.[34][35] The Raptors also defeated the Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz and Miami Heat, all of which were eventual Conference finalists.[34][36] However, the Raptors struggled against teams who were not of championship calibre, including three losses to the 15–67 Boston Celtics.[36]

text: In the 1997–98 season, the team suffered numerous injuries and slid into a 17-game losing streak.[37] After Thomas' attempts to execute a letter of intent with Slaight to purchase the team failed, he resigned his position with the team in November and sold his 9% stake in the team to Slaight.[31][38][39] This left Slaight with 90% and the Bank of Nova Scotia with 10%.[38] Thomas was replaced by Glen Grunwald as GM.[40] With Thomas gone, Stoudamire immediately sought a trade.[41] On February 13, 1998, he was shipped to the Portland Trail Blazers along with Walt Williams and Carlos Rogers for Kenny Anderson, Alvin Williams, Gary Trent, two first-round draft choices, a second-round draft choice and cash.[37] Anderson refused to report to Toronto and was traded to the Celtics with Žan Tabak and Popeye Jones for Chauncey Billups, Dee Brown, Roy Rogers and John Thomas.[37] When the trading deadline was over, the Raptors became the youngest team in the league with an average age of 24.6 years.[37] They had five rookies on their roster, including the 18-year-old Tracy McGrady, who at the time was the youngest player in the NBA.[37] The inexperienced Raptors struggled throughout the season and their regular season record regressed to 16–66.[42]

text: On February 12, 1998, Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd., the owners of the Toronto Maple Leafs, purchased 100% of the Raptors and the arena the team was building, Air Canada Centre, from Slaight and the Bank of Nova Scotia; Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. later renamed itself Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE).[39][43] MLSE paid a reported $467 million, made up of $179 million for the team and $288 million for the arena.[44][45][46] During the 1998 NBA draft, in what became a defining move for the franchise, Grunwald traded the team's 4th overall pick Antawn Jamison to the Golden State Warriors for Vince Carter, who was selected 5th overall.[47] To bring further credibility to the Raptors, Grunwald traded Marcus Camby to the New York Knicks for Charles Oakley,[48] a veteran with playoff experience. Kevin Willis, another veteran acquired from the trade, solidified the centre position, while the coaching staff temporarily rotated Brown, Williams and Doug Christie to play point guard. Both Christie and Williams became talented players in their own right; Christie developed into one of the elite defenders in the NBA,[48] while Williams improved his play on the offensive end. New coach Butch Carter was also credited with much of the team's turnaround during the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season. Although the team did not make the playoffs, many were optimistic with the impressive performances of Rookie of the Year Carter[47] and a much improved McGrady.

text: 1999–2002: Success during the Vince Carter era

text: During the 1999 NBA draft, believing that the Raptors still lacked a strong frontcourt presence, Grunwald traded first-round draft pick Jonathan Bender for power forward Antonio Davis of the Indiana Pacers. Davis quickly entered the Raptors starting lineup and he would develop into an All-Star in the coming years. Conversely, Bender would only play nine seasons and would be out of the league by age 29.[49] In the backcourt, Carter, Christie and Dell Curry played at the shooting guard position and Alvin Williams and Muggsy Bogues at point guard. The rotation of Davis, Oakley and Willis in the frontcourt and Carter's and McGrady's improvement helped the team make its first ever playoff appearance, fulfilling a promise Carter had made to fans in the previous season.[50] Lacking significant post-season experience, Toronto was defeated 3–0 by the New York Knicks in the first round.[50] Nonetheless, team improvements and the rise of Carter—who emphatically won the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest[47]—attracted many fans around Toronto, many of whom were previously not basketball fans. The season was also the first full year played at the Air Canada Centre, after having played four years at the cavernous SkyDome, which was better suited to baseball and Canadian football.[50] Overall, the Raptors concluded the season with a 45–37 record.[51]

text: Still, playoff failures and Butch Carter's media altercations surrounding Camby led Grunwald to replace Carter prior to the 2000–01 season with Lenny Wilkens, a Hall of Fame coach and player with more than 30 years of coaching experience.[52] The team roster was also largely revamped, including the signing of veteran playmaker Mark Jackson on a four-year contract.[53] When Alvin Williams later emerged as a clutch performer,[54] Jackson was traded to allow Williams more playing time.[53] In the 2000 off-season, free agent McGrady opted to leave the Raptors in a sign-and-trade deal worth $67.5 million over six years, while giving a conditional draft pick as part of the agreement to the Orlando Magic, for a first-round draft pick.[55]

text: As predicted by analysts, the team easily secured a berth in the 2001 NBA playoffs with a franchise high 47 wins. The Raptors won their first ever playoff series as they defeated New York 3–2, advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the first time in franchise history.[53][56] Wilkens was praised for having Williams defend shooting guard Allan Houston and Carter defend small forward Latrell Sprewell, the two major Knicks offensive threats. The series with Philadelphia 76ers was a landmark for the Raptors in terms of performance and entertainment value. The Sixers relied on Allen Iverson and Dikembe Mutombo for their respective offensive and defensive abilities, along with steady help from Aaron McKie. Toronto was the more balanced team with Carter, Alvin Williams and Davis providing much of the offensive game and Chris Childs and Jerome Williams on defence. The series came down to the last few seconds of Game 7, when Carter's potential series-winning shot rolled off the rim.[57] Carter was later widely criticized for attending his graduation ceremony at the University of North Carolina on the morning of Game 7, as he scored only 20 points on 6-for-18 shooting, after a 39-point performance in Game 6.[58][59] Despite the loss, the season is generally considered a watermark for the franchise, given the Raptors' franchise high of 47 wins and advancing beyond the first round of the playoffs.[53][60]

text: The relocation of the Vancouver Grizzlies to Memphis, Tennessee in 2001, as the Memphis Grizzlies, left Toronto as the NBA's only Canadian team.[61] In the summer of 2001, long-term contracts were given to Alvin Williams, Jerome Williams and Davis, while former NBA MVP centre Hakeem Olajuwon was signed to provide Carter with good support.[62] The Raptors appeared to be on their way to another competitive season, with a 29–21 record going into the All-Star break[62] and with Carter the top vote-getter for the All-Star game for the third consecutive year.[47] Carter then suffered a bout of patellar tendinitis (also known as "jumper's knee"),[63] forcing him to miss the All-Star game and the rest of the season,[62] and without their franchise player, Toronto lost 13 consecutive games.[62] However, they were able to win 12 of their last 14 games, clinching a playoff spot on the last day of the regular season.[62] The comeback featured some of the Raptors' best defence of the season, along with inspired performances by Davis and Keon Clark.

text: Despite Toronto's improved defensive performances, Carter's offence was sorely missed in the first-round series against the second-seeded Detroit Pistons. In the first game, Detroit overwhelmed Toronto 83–65, largely due to Ben Wallace's strong performance of 19 points, 20 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 steals.[64] Detroit also won Game 2, but Toronto won the next two games at home to force a deciding and tightly contested Game 5 in Detroit.[62] With 10.7 seconds left in the game, and the Raptors down 85–82 with possession of the ball, Childs raced down the court and shot a three-pointer that missed badly, apparently trying to draw a foul on the play,[65] instead of passing to a wide-open Curry. In a post-game locker room interview, Childs repeatedly insisted that the Raptors had been down four points, not three. The Raptors' late-season surge was thus marred by a disappointing playoff exit; the Olajuwon experiment was also a bust, with the 39-year-old averaging career lows in minutes, points and rebounds.[66] Furthermore, Childs, Clark and Curry left the team, ensuring a new-look team for the next season.

text: 2002–2006: Another period of struggle

text: The 2002–03 season began with the same optimism that the Raptors exhibited in three consecutive playoff seasons, although it faded early. Carter, while voted as a starter in the 2003 All-Star Game,[47] suffered a knee injury, while Davis expressed disinterest in Toronto, and Wilkens' laissez-faire attitude created a team that lacked the motivation and spirit of the previous years' teams. The team was ravaged with injuries, losing an NBA record number of player games due to injury.[67] Furthermore, the Raptors recorded the dubious honour of being the only team in NBA history not to dress 12 players for a single game in a season.[67] Wilkens was criticized heavily by the Toronto media for his inability to clamp down on his players when necessary, especially given this was the year that Wilkens overtook Bill Fitch for the most losses by an NBA coach,[68] with his loss total getting dangerously close to his win total. The Raptors ended the season with a 24–58 record[69] and Wilkens was fired. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, when the Raptors were given the 4th overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft and brought another star to Toronto in Chris Bosh.

text: Canadian country singer Shania Twain helped launch the new red Raptors alternate road uniform at the start of the 2003–04 season,[70] and the jerseys made their debut in a 90–87 season-opening victory on October 29, 2003 against the defending Conference Champion New Jersey Nets.[70] Davis and Jerome Williams were traded early in the season for Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall. After 50 games, Toronto was 25–25 and in a position to make the playoffs, but injuries to key players sent the Raptors plummeting down the standings. Rose, Carter and Alvin Williams all suffered injuries as the Raptors struggled to a record of 8–24 in their remaining games.[70] The notable individual season performances were Carter's 22.5 ppg, Marshall's 10.7 rpg, and rookie Bosh, a 6–10 forward-centre, averaging 11.5 ppg and 7.4 rpg and being named to the NBA All-Rookie Team.[71] Williams' knee injury turned out to be career-ending.

text: For the 2004–05 season, the team moved into the Atlantic Division and the Raptors decided to revamp the team. Raptors President and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Richard Peddie fired Grunwald on April 1, 2004, after the team ended the season three games short of the eighth and final playoff spot in the previous season.[70] Head coach Kevin O'Neill and his four assistant coaches were also dismissed immediately after Grunwald's termination. Toronto interim manager Jack McCloskey said: "While the blame for that certainly does not rest on O'Neill and his staff alone, we need a change."[72] Rob Babcock was named General Manager on June 7, 2004, alongside the appointments of Wayne Embry as senior advisor and Alex English as director of player development.[73] Sam Mitchell, a former NBA forward and assistant coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, was hired as new head coach of the Raptors.[74]

text: Babcock's first move as GM was drafting centre Rafael Araújo—selected eighth overall—in the 2004 NBA draft, in a move that was criticized by fans and analysts, considering highly touted swingman Andre Iguodala was drafted with the next pick.[75] Babcock signed point guard Rafer Alston to a five-year deal. After Vince Carter's annual charity game, Babcock implicitly revealed to the media that Carter's agent had asked for a trade, confirming Carter's discontent. The Toronto Sun reported that Carter felt he was being misled by the Raptors' hierarchy during the General Manager search and had concluded that as long as the managerial structure at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. remained intact, the Raptors would never be an elite team.[76] Carter was finally traded mid-season, ending his six-year tenure. Toronto received Alonzo Mourning, forwards Eric Williams and Aaron Williams and two mid-to-late future first round picks from the New Jersey Nets. Mourning chose not to report to Toronto, forcing Babcock to buy out the remainder of his contract[77] at a reported $10 million, leaving him free to sign with the Miami Heat. Eric and Aaron Williams were supposed to add defensive toughness and rebounding, but were generally under-utilized for the entire season. Analysts had predicted Babcock got the bad end of the deal,[78] and the trade eventually cost him his job.

text: Carter's departure heralded a new era for Toronto. Bosh stepped up to the role of franchise player[79] and performed well in his sophomore campaign, ranking tenth in the league in defensive rebounds.[71] In contrast to Bosh's emergence, Araújo struggled to keep a spot in the line-up, and became unpopular with fans and local media.[80] Although the ACC was often well-attended due to the Raptors' 22–19 home record,[81] their inability to win on the road (11–30) and poor defensive record made Mitchell's first year as head coach unimpressive. Additionally, Mitchell had problems dealing with Alston, who openly expressed his unhappiness with Mitchell in a post-game interview.[82] Later in the season, Alston was suspended two games for "conduct detrimental to the team" for reportedly walking out of a scrimmage during practice.[83] Notwithstanding the unrest, in their first season competing in the Atlantic Division, Toronto maintained the same regular season record of 33–49 as the previous season.[79]

text: The Raptors continued to rebuild during the 2005 NBA draft, selecting Charlie Villanueva, Joey Graham, Roko Ukić and Uroš Slokar, with Villanueva's selection being very controversial amongst basketball pundits and Raptors fans alike.[84] The Raptors started their training camp by trading Alston to the Houston Rockets for Mike James and signing free agent José Calderón as a backup for James. Despite the infusion of new players, Toronto's overall 2005–06 season was a disappointment; they set a franchise record by losing their first nine games[85] and 15 out of their first 16 games.[86] With losses mounting and media scrutiny intensifying, the Raptors hired ex-Purdue coach Gene Keady as an assistant off the bench to help develop the young Raptors team, as well as establish a defensive persona for the team. On January 15, 2006, the Raptors set a franchise points record in a 129–103 win over the Knicks when Villanueva hit a three-pointer late in the game.[87] But less than a week later, the Raptors gave up an 18-point lead against the Los Angeles Lakers and allowed Lakers star Kobe Bryant to score 81 points, the second highest single-game total in NBA history.[88] With media scrutiny intensifying once more and the Raptors entrenched at the bottom of the league in defensive field goal percentage,[89] CEO Richard Peddie fired Babcock.[90]

text: The 2005–06 season was not a total disaster. Villanueva's play impressed both fans and former critics as he came in second in NBA Rookie of the Year[91] and recorded 48 points in an overtime loss to Milwaukee Bucks, the most points scored by any rookie in franchise history and the most by a rookie in the NBA since 1997.[92] Bosh was also named a reserve forward for the Eastern All-Star Team in the 2006 game,[71] becoming the third Raptor after Vince Carter and Antonio Davis to appear in an All-Star Game. On February 27, 2006, the team named Bryan Colangelo, the 2004–05 NBA Executive of the Year, the President and General Manager of the Raptors.[93] Known for his success in transforming a lottery Phoenix team into a 62-win offensive juggernaut, his hiring gave hope to many fans. Still, Toronto ended the season weakly when Bosh suffered a season-ending thumb injury.[94] The Raptors lost ten in a row after Bosh's injury[95] and finished the season with the fifth worst record (27–55) in the NBA.[96]

text: 2006–2010: The Chris Bosh era

text: The 2006–07 season represented a watershed year for the Raptors franchise. The roster was overhauled, including the selection of 2006 NBA draft number one pick Andrea Bargnani, the acquisition of point guard T. J. Ford in exchange for Villanueva, and the signing of shooting guard Anthony Parker and small forward Jorge Garbajosa.[97] Bosh was given a three-year contract extension,[97] while Maurizio Gherardini of Benetton Treviso was hired as the club's vice-president and assistant general manager.[98]

text: The first half of the season produced mixed results as Toronto struggled towards the .500 mark.[99] After the All-Star break, Bargnani continued to work on his defence and shooting (averaging 14.3 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game in 12 games for the month of February 2007), and he was selected as the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for the second straight time on March 1, 2007.[100] Bargnani became the third Raptor ever to win the award twice, joining Vince Carter and Damon Stoudamire.[100] Toronto ended the regular season with a 47–35 record, securing the third seed in the Eastern Conference for the 2007 NBA Playoffs along with the Atlantic Division title, as well as homecourt advantage for the first time in franchise history.[101][102] Bosh was voted to start in the 2007 NBA All-Star Game.[103] The Raptors were also praised for their improved defence, ball-sharing and tremendous team chemistry.[104] Colangelo, Gherardini and Mitchell were credited with Toronto's turnaround this season,[105] which was one of the best in NBA history in terms of league standing and defensive ranking.[106] Mitchell was subsequently named the 2006–07 NBA Coach of the Year, the first coach in Raptors history to receive the honour,[107] while Colangelo was named 2006–07 Executive of the Year.[108]

text: On April 24, 2007, the Raptors won their first playoff game in five seasons, with an 89–83 victory over the New Jersey Nets,[109] but lost the series 4–2.[110] The series was notable for pitting ex-Raptor Vince Carter against his former team. The Nets took home court advantage in Game 1, holding off a late Raptors rally in the fourth quarter. The Raptors pulled away in another tight game to even the series at one game apiece. When the series shifted to New Jersey, the Nets took charge of the series, winning games 3 and 4 in routs. New Jersey had a chance to win the series in game 5 in Toronto, but the Raptors took a 20-point lead after one quarter. Still, New Jersey managed to chip away and had a chance to win the game, but Boštjan Nachbar's three-pointer missed at the buzzer. Needing to win in New Jersey to force a game 7, Toronto held a one-point lead with under a minute to play in game 6, but Richard Jefferson hit a layup with eight seconds left to play. Toronto attempted to try for the game-winning shot, but Jefferson intercepted a pass to seal the series for the Nets.

text: Several changes to the roster were made before the 2007–08 campaign as Toronto sought to reproduce the same form as the previous campaign. Most notably, the Raptors acquired Carlos Delfino in a trade with Detroit for two second round draft picks,[111] and signed Jamario Moon[112] and three-point specialist Jason Kapono as free agents.[113] On the other hand, veteran swingman Morris Peterson joined the New Orleans Hornets.[114] Despite being defending division champions, the Raptors were widely tipped as outside contenders for the division and conference titles.[115] However, Toronto quickly fell behind Boston in the division, as Bargnani's inability to play well consistently, along with injuries to Garbajosa (75 games), Bosh (15 games) and Ford (31 games), derailed the possibility of a smooth campaign.

text: The Raptors finished 41-41, six fewer wins than the previous season, but still good enough for a playoff spot as the 6th seed. They were pitted against Dwight Howard and the resurgent Orlando Magic. In Game 1, Dwight Howard gave the Magic their first playoff win since 2003 as they practically led the entire game.[116] Howard would put up a 29–20 in Game 2, as Hedo Türkoğlu scored the final four go-ahead points to give the Magic a 2–0 lead. The Raptors would respond with a strong Game 3 victory keyed by great point guard play from Ford and José Calderon. However, Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis and Keith Bogans keyed strong three point shooting in Game 4 and overcame Bosh's 39 points and 15 rebounds to bring the Magic out of Toronto with a 3–1 lead. Howard would finish off the series in Game 5 as impressively as he started: 21 points, 21 rebounds, 3 blocks.[117][118] Whereas the preceding season was considered a success, the 2007–08 campaign was considered a disappointment. Weaknesses in Toronto's game—rebounding, defence, and a lack of a swingman—were brought into sharp focus during the playoffs, and changes were expected to be made to the roster.[118]

text: As it turned out, a blockbuster trade was agreed in principle before the 2008–09 campaign: six-time All-Star Jermaine O'Neal was acquired from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Ford (who had become expendable with the emergence of Calderón), Rasho Nesterović, Maceo Baston, and Roy Hibbert, the 17th pick in the 2008 NBA draft, giving the Raptors a potential boost in the frontcourt.[119] Meanwhile, Bargnani, who had spent the summer working on his interior game, was projected to come off the bench. The Raptors also introduced a black alternate road jersey for the season similar to the earlier purple design that was dropped a few seasons ago. It had a maple leaf featured on the back neck of the jersey, symbolizing the Raptors as "Canada's team".[120] Despite the introduction of O'Neal, who brought home the rebounds and the blocks, and a much improved Bargnani, the Raptors were too inconsistent. Following an 8–9 start to the season, Mitchell was fired and replaced by long-time assistant Jay Triano.[121] Triano tweaked the starting line-up to no avail as the Raptors fell to 21–34 prior to the All-Star break. O'Neal and Moon were then traded to Miami for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks,[122] but with the losses mounting, the Raptors soon fell out of the playoffs picture and were eliminated from contention with seven games of the regular season remaining.[123] The Raptors eventually finished with a 33–49 record[124] and headed into the next season with a potential overhaul of the core: Marion could become a free agent; Bosh could become one after 2009–10; Parker would soon turn 35; and Bargnani had his breakthrough season. On May 12, 2009, Triano was given a three-year term for the position of head coach.[125]

text: The inevitable roster shakeup for the 2009–10 season began when Kapono was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for the aggressive veteran forward Reggie Evans.[126] Toronto then drafted DeMar DeRozan with the ninth pick, enabling them to fill a spot on the wings.[127] This was followed by the signing of free agent Hedo Türkoğlu, which in turn led to a sign-and-trade agreement involving four teams, with Toronto landing wing players Devean George (later traded for Marco Belinelli) and Antoine Wright, while releasing Marion, Kris Humphries and Nathan Jawai.[128] Around the same time, Parker headed for the Cleveland Cavaliers,[129] while Indiana point guard Jarrett Jack was added and Nesterovič brought back to provide cover for the big men. Finally, Delfino and Ukić were moved to the Milwaukee Bucks for Amir Johnson and Sonny Weems.[130] It became increasingly clear that Colangelo, in securing a credible nucleus for the future, was doing this to persuade Bosh to stay beyond 2010.[131] While the Raptors were off to a sluggish start, they picked up the pace around the All-Star break, reaching a season-high seven games above .500 and standing fifth in the Eastern Conference.[132] Bosh was recording career-highs in points and rebounds per game.[71] However, a season-ending injury to Bosh after the break coincided with Toronto's descent down the standings from the fifth seed to the eighth, and they ultimately relinquished their spot to Chicago a few games before the regular season ended.[133]

text: 2010–2013: Rebuilding

text: Before the 2010–11 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 draft picks and a trade exception from Miami.[134] Prior to this, Toronto had drafted Ed Davis, also a left-handed power forward like Bosh. After Bosh left, Colangelo sought to trade Calderón, Evans and the disenchanted Türkoğlu for Tyson Chandler, Leandro Barbosa, and Boris Diaw,[135] but the trade involving Chandler collapsed at the last minute, as Chandler was traded to the Dallas Mavericks instead.[136] Belinelli was then traded to New Orleans Hornets for Julian Wright,[137] and 13 games into the season, Jack, David Andersen, and Marcus Banks to New Orleans for Peja Stojaković and Jerryd Bayless.[138] Bosh's first return to Toronto was received to a chorus of boos, but not as nearly as harsh as what former Raptors Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter received upon their respective returns.[139] Without Bosh, Toronto as a team regressed and were only able to secure 22 wins in the regular season.

text: Dwane Casey, an assistant coach with the Mavericks, was hired as the new head coach of Toronto before the 2011–12 season.[140] The Raptors used their number five pick to select Jonas Valančiūnas, a centre from Lithuania in the 2011 NBA draft. The season was shortened by 16 regular season games due to the 2011 NBA lockout, and the Raptors finished the season with a 23–43 record. During the 2012 off-season, Colangelo tried to lure Canadian free agent and two-time MVP Steve Nash, who had become a free agent after playing for the Phoenix Suns, to play for the Raptors. When Nash joined the Los Angeles Lakers instead, the Raptors acquired point guard Kyle Lowry from the Houston Rockets for a future first round pick. Lowry, combined with Valančiūnas and the 8th pick in the 2012 draft Terrence Ross, represented the next phase of the re-building process. On January 30, 2013, the Raptors acquired Memphis Grizzlies star Rudy Gay and centre Hamed Haddadi as well as Pistons player Austin Daye in a three-way deal that sent Calderón to the Detroit Pistons and Davis, along with Pistons veteran Tayshaun Prince and a second round pick to the Grizzlies. Haddadi was later traded, along with a second round pick, to Phoenix in exchange for guard Sebastian Telfair. The 2012–13 season was the first season since 2009–10 that the Raptors finished the season with a winning home record (21–20), despite their overall losing record (34–48).

text: 2013–present: The Lowry–DeRozan era

text: During the 2013 off-season, new General Manager Masai Ujiri traded Bargnani to the New York Knicks for Marcus Camby, Steve Novak, Quentin Richardson, a future first-round draft pick, and two future second-round picks; Camby and Richardson were both waived shortly after the trade. The Raptors also added Tyler Hansbrough, D. J. Augustin, Dwight Buycks, and Austin Daye via free agency. On December 9, 2013, the Raptors traded Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy, and Aaron Gray to the Sacramento Kings for John Salmons, Greivis Vásquez, Patrick Patterson, and Chuck Hayes, and waived Augustin.[141]

text: During the 2013–14 season, the Raptors were 6–12 before the Rudy Gay trade; after the trade they went on a 10–3 run, as they maintained their lead in the division and rose above the .500 mark for the first time in almost three years. The Raptors entered the All-Star break with a 28–24 record, and DeRozan was also selected to play in the All-Star game, being only the fourth ever Raptor to do so. On March 28, 2014, the Raptors clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2008 after beating the Boston Celtics, 105–103.[142] On April 11, 2014, the Raptors lost to the New York Knicks, 108–100, but since the division rival Brooklyn Nets lost to the Atlanta Hawks the same night, the Raptors became Atlantic Division champions for the first time since 2007.[143] They finished the regular season with a franchise-high 48 wins (.585), going 42–22 (.656) after the Gay trade, the third-best record in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors faced the Nets in the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2007, when the Nets were located in New Jersey. Toronto nearly advanced to the next round, but Paul Pierce blocked a potential game-winner by Lowry in Game 7.[144]

text: During the 2014–15 season, the Raptors were off to their best start in franchise history: a then-Eastern Conference-leading 24–8 record by the end of 2014.[145] On March 27, 2015, the Raptors clinched the Atlantic division title with a 94–83 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. This was the second consecutive year that the Raptors clinched the Atlantic Division title.[146] On April 11, 2015, the Raptors beat the Miami Heat, Toronto's first road win over the Heat since November 19, 2008, ending a ten-game slide on Miami's home floor. The win was Toronto's 48th of the season and 22nd on the road, both tying franchise records.[147] Four days later, the Raptors broke their franchise record with their 49th win of the season. After the 2014–15 season, Louis Williams won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, becoming the first Raptor to do so. The Raptors faced the Washington Wizards in the first round of the 2015 playoffs, and lost four straight games as the Wizards swept the Raptors.[148]

text: On June 25, 2015, the Raptors selected Delon Wright with their first-round pick in the 2015 NBA draft, along with Norman Powell in the second round. On June 29, the Raptors announced their new NBA G League (then known as the NBA D-League) team, the Mississauga-based Raptors 905, which began play in the 2015–16 season.[149] The Raptors added DeMarre Carroll, Cory Joseph, Bismack Biyombo, and Luis Scola via free agency.

text: The Raptors opened a new practice facility, the BioSteel Centre in Exhibition Place, on February 10, 2016. The Raptors hosted the 2016 NBA All-Star Game on February 14, 2016 and its associated weekend for the first time in its history. With a 105–97 win at home against the Atlanta Hawks on March 30, 2016, the Raptors attained their first ever 50-win season.[150] The following day the Raptors clinched the Atlantic Division title for the third consecutive season as a result of a Boston Celtics loss against the Portland Trail Blazers.[151] The 56–26 record became the best Raptors regular season ever, fourth overall in the league and second only to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference. Entering the 2016 playoffs as the East's second seed,[152] the Raptors were pushed to seven games by the Indiana Pacers, but managed to win their first playoff series in 15 years.[153] Another seven-game series against the Miami Heat ensued, which Toronto also won. The Raptors, who were one of the four teams that never reached the NBA Conference Finals in their histories, appeared in the third round for the first time in their twenty-first season, facing the Cleveland Cavaliers,[154] in which they ultimately lost the series 4–2.[155] The Cavaliers advanced to the NBA Finals and became champions.

text: In preparation for their title push, the Raptors conducted a series of trades, including on February 14, 2017, when Terrence Ross and a first-round pick were traded for Serge Ibaka from the Orlando Magic,[156] and on February 23, 2017, when Jared Sullinger and two second-round picks were traded for PJ Tucker.[157] During the 2017 NBA Playoffs, the third-seeded Raptors defeated the Milwaukee Bucks during the first round 4–2, but lost to the defending champions Cavaliers in the second round 4–0.

text: On January 1, 2018, DeMar DeRozan scored a franchise-record 52 points to help the Raptors beat the Milwaukee Bucks 131–127 in overtime, matching the team record with their 12th consecutive home victory. DeRozan became the third player in Raptors history to score 50 or more in a single game—the others being Vince Carter and Terrence Ross, who each had 51.[158] On March 7, 2018, Toronto became the first team in the league to clinch a playoff spot in the 2017–18 season, with a 121–119 overtime win over the Detroit Pistons in Detroit, and set a new franchise record in earliest playoff qualification, doing so in only their 64th game of the season.[159] On April 6, 2018, the Raptors became Eastern Conference regular season champions, securing the number one seed for the first time in franchise history with a 92–73 win over the Indiana Pacers, in the process also setting new records for single-season wins at 57 and home wins with 33, with three games remaining on the schedule.[160] The Raptors finished the regular season with a franchise-record 59 wins, which was the second best overall in the league behind only the Houston Rockets.

text: The Raptors faced off the Washington Wizards in the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs, a rematch of the 2015 playoffs. The Raptors defeated the Wizards four games to two. The Raptors faced the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round. The Raptors were swept by the Cavaliers, becoming the first #1 seed to get swept before the Conference Finals since 1969.[161] Casey was subsequently fired as coach on May 11.[162]

text: Logos and uniforms

text: Logos

text: Fueled by the success of the Jurassic Park film and the popularity of dinosaurs with younger audiences, who would grow up to be fans of the franchise, the team's first logo originally featured an aggressive-looking, red Velociraptor dribbling a basketball (albeit reminiscent of Jurassic Park's featherless depiction of the creatures, rather than the actual, believed to be feathered dromaeosaurid since the mid-2000s). The team's original colours were purple, bright red, black and "Naismith silver" (in honour of the Canadian inventor of basketball, James Naismith). The logo proved to be very popular among fans, as by the end of 1994, the Raptors were seventh in the league in merchandise sales.[1] For the 2008−09 season, the franchise dropped the colour purple from the original logo, making bright red the predominant colour in both the logo and the team's jerseys.

text: On December 19, 2014, the Toronto Raptors unveiled a new primary logo, which the team described as "a circular shield with a ball torn by the unmistakable attack of a Raptor".[4]

text: Wordmark logo (2015–present)

text: Court art

text: The Toronto Raptors used various court art over the team's existence. For retro games, the Raptors used the Huskies logo during retro games, given that the Raptors are among the newest NBA teams. Beginning in early 2018, in some games, the Raptors use the Welcome Toronto logo, as the Raptors have strong connections with Toronto-based rapper Drake, as well as the 3D Raptors logo.

text: Uniforms

text: Uniform evolution

text: The first, iconic uniforms the Raptors wore back in 1995 were extraordinarily busy, as they featured black and white tears as pin stripes, edgy asymmetric lettering, a raptor claw on one side of the shorts, a raptor biting the ‘T’ of the ‘TR’ franchise acronym on the other side, and were rounded up with a giant, aggressive-looking raptor dribbling a basketball (as depicted on the franchise logo) in the middle of the jersey. The Raptors unveiled new jerseys in 1999−2000, launching a unique road jersey that had a purple front and a black back. In 2003−04, the Raptors introduced a solid red alternate that would become the main road jersey in 2006−07 onward, as purple was dropped from the team's colour scheme. From 2008−09 through 2014−15, the Raptors unveiled their alternate black road uniforms, which were actually worn as often as the primary red ones.

text:
1995

1999

2003

2008

Since 2015

text: 2015 redesign

text: On August 3, 2015, the Toronto Raptors unveiled four new uniforms. The uniforms were released in partnership with 2K Sports' NBA 2K16 video game. The team said in a press release the new uniform designs were intended to pay tribute to the city of Toronto and to Canada as a whole, noting that the Raptors were the sole Canadian club in the NBA since the Grizzlies' move to Memphis. The main colours would remain centred on Canada's national colours of red and white, whereas black and silver will continue to be used for trim on the white home and red road uniforms. The uniforms themselves underwent changes. Most notably, the chevrons on the side panels now point up, which the team said aligns with its current slogan of "We The North". Since being introduced as a uniform accent in 1999, the chevrons had pointed downward, the team said. In addition, at the waist-level hem of the jersey is an upside-down tag with the team's "We The North" slogan. The team said the slogan on the tag will be visible to players when they tuck in their jersey. Additionally, the shorts now feature a maple leaf logo on the front of the waistband, and the letter "T" is now on the sides of the shorts, with the Raptors' basketball claw logo below it. This is a reference to the city of Toronto's "T-Dot" nickname.[163]

text: Jersey sponsors

text: In the 2017 off-season, the Raptors announced that Toronto-based Sun Life Financial is the jersey sponsor for the Raptors, starting in the 2017–18 season.[164]

text: Throwback jerseys

text: On December 8, 2009, the Raptors introduced a blue-and-white throwback jersey to commemorate the Toronto Huskies, regarded by many as the unofficial, geographical predecessor of the Raptors.[165] The uniforms were the same as those worn by the Huskies during the 1946–47 season, with the exception of the nickname and length of the shorts. These uniforms were worn in six games in the 2009–10 season and have since been used as "retro" jerseys, worn during special "Huskies Nights".

text: In the 2016–17 NBA season, the Raptors not only unveiled the season's "retro" uniforms in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Toronto Huskies, but also revealed a Huskies-themed throwback court.[166] The franchise also launched a special red Chinese New Year jersey in celebration of the event. The Chinese New Year jersey features a stylized rendering of "Toronto" in white traditional Chinese characters (多倫多, Pinyin: Duōlúnduō), with the head of a leftward-facing Chinese dragon replacing the upper half of the first 多 character and the Raptors slashed basketball logo replacing much of the bottom half of the 倫 character.[167]

text: Other throwback jerseys worn by the Raptors include a green uniform worn from the 2007−08 season through to the 2011−12 season on St. Patrick's Day.[168]

text: Other jerseys

text: The Raptors also wear a camouflage uniform based on the temperate variant of CADPAT (Canadian Disruptive Pattern) during special events involving the Canadian Armed Forces,[169] as well as jerseys themed by Drake, such as Welcome Toronto jerseys, which are black with gold text.

text: Arenas

text:
Arenas

Arena
Games played
Tenure

SkyDome
117
1995–1999

Maple Leaf Gardens
6

Copps Coliseum
3

Air Canada Centre
710
1999–present

text: BioSteel Centre (Practice facility: 2016–present)

text: Personnel

text: Current roster

text:
Toronto Raptors roster

v
t
e

Players
Coaches

Pos.
No.
Name
Height
Weight
DOB (YYYY-MM-DD)
From

4.0 !F
7000300000000000000♠3
Anunoby, OG
7000203200000000000♠6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
235 lb (107 kg)
1997–07–17
Indiana

1.5 !G
7000400000000000000♠4
Brown, Lorenzo
7000195580000000000♠6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
189 lb (86 kg)
1990–08–26
North Carolina State

1.5 !G
7001100000000000000♠10
DeRozan, DeMar (C)
7000200659999999999♠6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
1989–08–07
Southern California

4.0 !F
7000900000000000000♠9
Ibaka, Serge
7000208279999999999♠6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
235 lb (107 kg)
1989–09–18
Republic of the Congo

1.5 !G
7000700000000000000♠7
Lowry, Kyle (C)
7000185420000000000♠6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
1986–03–25
Villanova

4.0 !F
7001340000000000000♠34
McKinnie, Alfonzo
7000203200000000000♠6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
1992–09–17
Green Bay

4.0 !F
5000000000000000000♠0
Miles, C. J.
7000198120000000000♠6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
1987–03–18
Skyline HS (TX)

4.0 !F
7001130000000000000♠13
Miller, Malcolm (TW)
7000200659999999999♠6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
1993–03–06
Holy Cross

6.0 !C
7001920000000000000♠92
Nogueira, Lucas
7000213360000000000♠7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
240 lb (109 kg)
1992–07–26
Brazil

6.0 !C
7001420000000000000♠42
Pöltl, Jakob
7000213360000000000♠7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
250 lb (113 kg)
1995–10–15
Utah

1.5 !G
7001240000000000000♠24
Powell, Norman
7000195580000000000♠6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
1993–05–25
UCLA

1.5 !G
7001220000000000000♠22
Richardson, Malachi
7000198120000000000♠6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
1996–01–05
Syracuse

4.0 !F
7001430000000000000♠43
Siakam, Pascal
7000205740000000000♠6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
230 lb (104 kg)
1994–04–02
New Mexico State

6.0 !C
7001170000000000000♠17
Valančiūnas, Jonas
7000213360000000000♠7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
255 lb (116 kg)
1992–05–06
Lithuania

1.5 !G
7001230000000000000♠23
VanVleet, Fred
7000182880000000000♠6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
1994–02–25
Wichita State

1.5 !G
7001550000000000000♠55
Wright, Delon
7000195580000000000♠6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
1992–04–26
Utah

Head coach

Vacant

Assistant coach(es)

Rex Kalamian
Eric Khoury
Alex McKechnie
Jama Mahlalela
Patrick Mutombo
Nick Nurse
Jim Sann

Legend

(C) Team captain
(DP) Unsigned draft pick
(FA) Free agent
(S) Suspended
(GL) On assignment to G League affiliate
(TW) Two-way affiliate player
 Injured

Roster • Transactions
Last transaction: 2018–04–11

text: Retained draft rights

text: The Raptors hold the draft rights to the following unsigned draft picks who have been playing outside the NBA. A drafted player, either an international draftee or a college draftee who is not signed by the team that drafted him, is allowed to sign with any non-NBA team. In this case, the team retains the player's draft rights in the NBA until one year after the player's contract with the non-NBA team ends.[170] This list includes draft rights that were acquired from trades with other teams.

text:
Draft
Round
Pick
Player
Pos.
Nationality
Current team
Note(s)
Ref

2009
2
57
Preldžić, EmirEmir Preldžić
G/F
 Turkey
Galatasaray Odeabank (Turkey)
Acquired from the Dallas Mavericks (via Indiana)
[171]

text: Management

text: General managers

text:
GM history

GM
Tenure

Isiah Thomas
1995 – March 1998

Glen Grunwald
March 1998 – April 2004

Jack McCloskey
April 2004 – June 2004 (Interim)

Rob Babcock
June 2004 – January 2006

Wayne Embry
January 2006 – February 2006 (Interim)

Bryan Colangelo
February 2006 – May 2013

Masai Ujiri
May 2013 – September 2016

Jeff Weltman
September 2016 – May 2017

Bobby Webster
June 2017 – present[172]

text: Presidents of basketball operations

text:
Presidents of basketball operations history

President
Tenure

Richard Peddie
1999 – February 2006

Bryan Colangelo
February 2006 – May 2013

Masai Ujiri
May 2013 – present

text: Owners

text:
Ownership history

Owner
Tenure

John Bitove, Allan Slaight, Isiah Thomas
1995 – 1998

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
1998 – present

text: Head coaches

text: Basketball Hall of Famers

text:
Toronto Raptors Hall of Famers

Players

No.
Name
Position
Tenure
Inducted

34
Hakeem Olajuwon
C
2001 – 2002
2008

1
Tracy McGrady
G/F
1997 – 2000
2017[173]

Coaches

Name
Position
Tenure
Inducted

Lenny Wilkens1
Coach
2000 – 2003
1998

Contributors

Name
Position
Tenure
Inducted

Wayne Embry
GM
2006
1999

text: Notes:

text: 1 In total, Wilkens was inducted into the Hall of Fame thrice — as player, as coach and as a member of the 1992 Olympic team.

text: FIBA Hall of Famers

text:
Toronto Raptors Hall of Famers

Players

No.
Name
Position
Tenure
Inducted

34
Hakeem Olajuwon
C
2001 – 2002
2016

text: Awards and records

text: Since their inception in 1995, the Raptors have made the playoffs ten times (2000–2002, 2007, 2008, and 2014–2018, all inclusive), advancing past the first round four times (2001 and 2016–2018). The Raptors have won the Atlantic Division five times (2007, 2014–2016, and 2018), and the franchise record number of wins in the regular season is 59 (2018). The Raptors advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals only once (2016). Five Raptors have been selected to play in the All-Star game: Vince Carter, Antonio Davis, Chris Bosh, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry.

text: Broadcasters

text: Raptors games are primarily broadcast on television by Canadian sports channels TSN and Sportsnet. Through MLSE, the Raptors also operate the Canadian version of NBA TV (formerly known as Raptors NBA TV), which airs reruns of Raptors telecasts along with other news and analysis programs focusing on the team and the rest of the NBA.[174]

text:
Television

John Saunders (Play-by-play, 1995–2001)
Dan Shulman (Play-by-play, 1995–2001, TSN)
Rod Black (Play-by-play, 1995–2005, CTV, and TSN)
Chuck Swirsky (Play-by-play, 2001–2008)
Jack Armstrong (Colour, 1998–present, TSN)
Leo Rautins (Colour, 1995–present, Sportsnet)
Matt Devlin (Play-by-play, 2008–present)
Sherman Hamilton (Colour, 2008–present, NBA TV Canada)

Radio

Mike Inglis (Play-by-play, 1995–1998, CFRB 1010)
Earl Cureton (Colour, 1997–1998, CFRB 1010)
Chuck Swirsky (Play-by-play, 1998–2001, Fan 590; TV simulcast of play-by-play, 2001–2004)
Jack Armstrong (Colour, 1998–2001, Fan 590; 2013–present, TSN Radio 1050)
Leo Rautins (TV simulcast of colour, 2001–2004, Fan 590)
Paul Romanuk (Play-by-play, 2004–2005, Fan 590)
Paul Jones (Colour, 1995–1997, CFRB 1010; 2004–2005, 2015–present, Fan 590; Play-by-play, 2005–2015, Fan 590; 2013–present, TSN Radio 1050)
Eric Smith (Colour, 2005–2015, Fan 590; Play-by-play, 2015–present, Fan 590)
Matt Devlin (TV simulcast of play-by-play, 2013–present, TSN Radio 1050)
Sherman Hamilton (Colour, 2013–present, TSN Radio 1050)

text: Fanbase and marketing

text: The Raptors have enjoyed a consistent fanbase throughout their history. The Toronto Raptors set NBA attendance records in their 2000, 2001, and 2002 seasons when they made the playoffs. Attendance dipped slightly between 2003 and 2006. This improved during the 2006–07 regular season to an average of 18,258 fans (13th in the league), 92.2% of capacity at the ACC.[175] Following the success of the 2006–07 season, Toronto became one of the league leaders in season ticket sales for the 2007–08 season.[176] Their television ratings, however, are considerably lower than other more established Toronto sports teams and most other sporting events shown on Canadian television.[174]

text: Another successful run starting in 2013–14 led to a spike in the Raptors' support. For the 2014–15 season, the team sold out the 12,500 season tickets, the first time it occurred since 2011.[177] Public watchings of the Raptors games, particularly during the playoffs, started being held at Maple Leaf Square, which the fans nicknamed "Jurassic Park". MLSE decided to endorse this practice by setting up concession stands and branded sponsorships at the square with naming rights sold to Ford, along with increased security. At times, footage from the square is broadcast to the Raptors locker room.[178][179] The victorious Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers on the 2016 playoffs was the most watched Raptors broadcast ever, as well as the biggest television audience in Canada that day, averaging 1.53 million viewers with a peak of 2.63 million.[180]

text: The value of the Raptors franchise has risen over the years. In 1998, the franchise was bought for US$125 million. With the continued popularity of the Raptors, the value of the franchise doubled from US$148 million in 2000 to $297 million in 2004. The value of the franchise grew again from $315 million in 2006 to $373 million in 2007, and $400 million in 2008. By 2018, Forbes estimated the Raptors were worth $1.4 billion, 12th in the NBA.[181][182][183][184][185][186]

text: On game day, the fans are usually entertained by the Raptor mascot, the Raptors Dance Pak, and the 4 Korners Raptors Soundcrew during pre-game, time-outs, and intervals. During the 2013–14 season, a new "Drake Zone" was created in the lower bowl. Limited edition shirts were given away to fans sitting in the Drake Zone. Giveaways are sometimes bundled with tickets to encourage attendance. Further, whenever Toronto scores more than 100 points in a home game and wins, fans can redeem their ticket for a cheese or pepperoni pizza slice at standalone Pizza Pizza locations throughout Ontario for the business day after the game that was played. This is part of a promotion made by the Raptors' official pizza sponsor.[187]

text: Partnership with Drake

text: "We The North" re-branding

text: In the lead-up to the team's 20th anniversary season in 2015 and its hosting of the 2016 All-Star Game, the Raptors began the process of re-branding itself. On September 30, 2013, Toronto-based rapper Drake was announced as the new "global ambassador" for the Toronto Raptors, thereby joining the executive committee of his hometown's NBA team.[188] In April 2014, the Raptors unveiled a new imaging campaign developed by the agency Sid Lee, "We The North", built around a manifesto that was meant to embrace the team's trait of being an "outsider" from the "north side", and the accompanying feelings of players and fans.[189]

text: The "We The North" campaign was originally to be launched during the 2015–16 season; however, the launch was hastened so it would be ready in time for the 2014 playoffs, taking into account the poor performance of Canada's other pro sports teams at the time. An introductory commercial was quickly filmed, which featured the manifesto as narration, scenes of local basketball players in various outdoor locations around the city, and ended with a scene displaying a black, waving flag with the motto written on it. The campaign was immediately embraced by fans during the playoffs and following season; the launch commercial was viewed over 500,000 times in the two days following its release, "We The North"-branded shirts and flags became a common sight at games, while Ryerson University sports marketing professor Cheri Bradish compared the campaign to Molson's former "I Am Canadian" alcohol advertising campaign in how it resonated with the country.[189][190]

text: On December 19, 2014, the Raptors soft-launched a new logo also designed by Sid Lee, which features a basketball with claw marks. The new logo was officially implemented during the 2015–2016 season.[191] The logo's introduction was marred by a disorganized launch, which saw a black and white version initially shown before the eventual unveiling of colored versions later in the day, mixed reviews for the design itself, with some (especially on the black and white version) comparing it to that of the Brooklyn Nets, and despite teasing merchandise with the new logo, not releasing any until at least mid-2015.[192] There were also alleged tensions between MLSE staff and Drake surrounding the new design—in particular, the performer had pushed for the team to change its primary colour from red to gold (a colour seen in one of the official variants of the logo unveiled that day). In a response on Twitter, Drake distanced himself from the "execution" of the new logo.[193]

text: Welcome Toronto

text: In 2018, Drake unveiled the Welcome Toronto program with the Raptors. As a part of the program, the Raptors wore "city edition" uniforms for six home games throughout the 2017–18 season. As a salute to the earlier We the North campaign, the uniforms feature a gold chevron with "NORTH" written across it. The six Welcome Toronto home games also featured an OVO-themed black and gold home court, with chevrons pointing north.[194] In addition to the Welcome Toronto home games, it was also announced that the Raptors and OVO would donate $1 million in order to refurbish local community basketball courts, as well as another $2 million to Canada Basketball.[195]

text: Rivalries

text: New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets

text: The New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets and the Raptors have been minor rivals since the trade of Vince Carter to the Nets during the 2004–05 season. The rivalry began to heat up as the two teams faced each other in the opening round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs, with the Nets winning the series, 4–2, after a go-ahead shot by Richard Jefferson with 8 seconds left in Game 6 ensuring a 98–97 defeat for the Raptors.[196] The rivalry was rekindled during the 2013–14 season when the Nets and Raptors battled for the Atlantic Division. The Raptors won the division final but then faced the Nets in the opening round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs. Prior to Game 1 of the series, Raptors GM Masai Ujiri spoke at a Raptors rally outside Air Canada Centre's Maple Leaf Square. During the rally, Ujiri yelled "Fuck Brooklyn!" which found its way onto various social media platforms within minutes. Masai was fined $25,000 by the NBA for the quote and later apologized for the excessive language.[197] The hard-fought series lasted seven games, and was decided in the final seconds when Paul Pierce blocked Kyle Lowry's shot giving the Nets the 104–103 victory.[198][199]

text: New York Knicks

text: The New York Knicks and the Raptors had a playoff rivalry in 2000 and 2001. The Raptors made their first-ever playoff appearance during the 1999–2000 season, in which they were swept by the Knicks in the first round, 3–0. The following season, the Raptors redeemed themselves, defeating the Knicks in the first round 3–2; this effectively ended the Knicks' run as perennial NBA championship contenders, which began in the early 1990s.[198][200]

text: Community service

text: The Raptors Foundation was the charitable arm of the Raptors, dedicated to assisting Ontario's registered charities that support programs and sports initiatives for at-risk children and youth. The Foundation strove to lift spirits and change lives for young people by supporting local and provincial organizations that provide recreational, educational and other youth-oriented activities. Through its community ties and with the help of its corporate partners, donors, Raptors players and volunteers, the Foundation had successfully raised more than $14 million between 1995 and 2007, and reached out to thousands of other charities.[201] The Raptors Foundation was one of three parts of the Raptors' community service program. The other projects were Raptors Community Relations and Raptors Basketball Development, both of which focus on providing basketball development programs. The Toronto Raptors lead the NBA for amount of money donated to the community. In 2009, the Raptors Foundation merged with the other charitable arms of MLSE's other sports franchises to form the Team Up Foundation.[202][203]

text: In 2018, the Raptors, in partnership with Drake, announced the Welcome Toronto program. The program will see the Raptors and OVO contribute $2 million to Canada Basketball over the next four years. In addition, the Raptors and OVO also announced a donation of $1 million over the next three years, in order to refurbish four community basketball courts within Toronto city limits. The four courts are located at Flemingdon Community Centre in the North York district in the north end of the city, Malvern Community Recreation Centre in the Scarborough district in the east end of the city, Matty Eckler Community Centre in the Riverdale neighbourhood of the Old Toronto district just to the east of downtown, and Thistletown Community Centre in the Etobicoke district in the west end of the city.[194][195]