Kevin Thomas’s neon blue-and-green basketball shoes flash in the swarm of black and white practice jerseys. It’s Saturday afternoon in mid-September, and the University of Toronto Mississauga campus gym is alive with the sounds of five-on-five scrimmages. Thomas and 74 others have shown up to the Raptors 905 open tryout with the hopes of scoring an invitation to the team’s training camp in November.
It’s a huge opportunity for every player here, but only a select few, Thomas included, look like they have a chance to crack the roster for the Raptors brand new NBA Development League team and take one step closer to the biggest and best pro basketball league on earth.
There’s plenty on the line but Thomas doesn’t radiate stress like those around him. It’s not that he’s better at hiding it; he just knows everything—good or bad—happens for a reason.
In May, Thomas, a native of Ajax, ON, graduated from Troy University after two seasons with the Trojans, averaging 30.2 minutes and 9.7 points per game. When he received his degree (in Social Science, with a minor in Recreation), he was faced with an all-too-familiar question: What now?
Raptors 905 could be the answer.
Raptors 905 is the newest addition to the NBA’s minor league, which has existed since 2001. Last season, 47 players from the D-League were called up to the NBA. In August, Raptors 905 selected the rights to 16 players in the 2015 Expansion Draft, and though none of them may wind up in the roster, nearly half of them have NBA experience. That same month, the team announced an open tryout to fill five roster spots at training camp. For Thomas, the tryout is a potential lifeline.
“[The team] got in contact in early July,” Thomas recalls. “They must have remembered me from a workout this summer, and they wanted me to come out and showcase my skills again. I think God opened a door for me with that one.”
And, as you can imagine, playing for a Raptors affiliate would be especially sweet for the local kid. “Growing up, I used to watch the Raptors a lot,” says Thomas. “Of course, there were the big names like Vince Carter and Chris Bosh. I always loved how flashy they were. I’d go outside [to the family hoop] and try to imitate what I saw.”
But growing up north of the border, getting noticed hasn’t always been as easy for Thomas as it’s been for some of the nation’s marquee hoops talent. “As a Canadian, [scouts] think you’re probably soft, the skill level is probably not there,” he says. “They might skim over us and leave us in the dirt, not really give us a chance.” Though he acknowledges the landscape is changing rapidly. “I know that stereotype is shifting,” says Thomas. “A lot of us are pushing through, being hard-headed and pursuing our dreams.”
A wide range of talent (not to mention age—the oldest guy is 39) has shown up to the tryouts. But in team drills and scrimmages, Thomas is clearly a cut above. His run is more of a lope and his long arms hang loose at his side. Thomas, whose smile rarely leaves his face, isn’t focused on doing it all himself and moves the ball at every opportunity, eager to get his teammates involved.
It’s a valuable trait in a player, but it doesn’t make it any easier to spot him in the swirling crowd, highlighting the most difficult element of this tryout: standing out.
According to Raptors 905 head coach Jesse Mermuys, who spent the last three years as an assistant on Dwane Casey’s staff, the best strategy is to stick with what you know. “We’re looking for versatility, guys who can play and guard multiple positions,” he explains. “We want to see good teammates, [guys who are] energetic, passing the basketball [and] not trying to do things that they can’t.”
GM Dan Tolzman says the creation of the D-League team is “a clear sign of the upward trajectory of the interest in the game [in Canada] that will only get bigger and bigger.” According to Tolzman, having a team that feeds direction into the Raptors means the goal of making it onto an NBA roster has suddenly become more attainable.
The day after the tryout, Thomas reflects on his effort: “I think I did pretty well. I feel confident in my performance. I believe I can be a great part of their organization. I’ve just got to pray and hope for the best and keep working hard.”
For now, at least, it seems his prayers have been answered. On Wednesday morning, Raptors 905 released the list of five athletes whose performance at the tryout earned them an invitation to training camp. The last name on the list: Kevin Thomas.
