Last week we published the list of the 10 most popular Raptors ever. Given that Toronto is currently in its 19th season in the NBA, here are nine more players to consider for the list. These names are in no particular order—they simply round out the total to a poetic 19.
Antonio Davis (1999–2003): All-star appearance with the Raptors. Second on the team’s all-time lists for offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds and total rebounds. Now-infamous quotes about the metric system and his children’s educations were grossly overblown.
Jorge Garbajosa (2006–08): He smoked. He threw elbows. He knocked down threes and grabbed boards. And he gruesomely broke his leg on a play that had no meaning in a game that Toronto was already getting blown out in. What more can you say… folks loved Garbo.
Jarrett Jack (2009–10): Another player who had a cup of coffee in T.O., but earned his stripes in a short time and had fans clamoring for (another) change in the seemingly ever-present point guard carousel the Raptors have battled through.
T.J. Ford (2006–08): See above. Those comments could easily apply here. And the fact that Ford left his body on the floor—literally and figuratively—earned him a ton of short- and long-term credit from the Toronto faithful. He was small but he had a swagger. Many people can relate to that.
Tracy Murray (1995–96, 2001–02): A shout-out to some of the glory from the early years at Skydome and beyond. ‘T-For-3’ finally got a chance to log significant NBA minutes with the Raptors and he repaid his coaches and fans with his perimeter play and personable smile.
Keon Clark (2001–02): The recent news of his eight-year jail sentence was a kick in the gut for a lot of folks who used to cheer on Clark and his wiry, freakish athleticism on both ends of the floor.
Doug Christie (1996–2000): In hindsight, too much attention was probably placed on his personal life—specifically his relationship with his wife—and not on the fact that he was one of the better defenders in the league, something that really came to light when Christie joined the Sacramento Kings.
Dell Curry (1999–2002): Believe it or not, some players have spurned other clubs, wanting to sign a deal with Toronto. That’s what happened to Curry when he backed out on a contract with Milwaukee to come to Toronto. He was a key part of the Raptors’ (quick) post-season run when Oakley was leading T.O. towards a tougher attitude and perhaps more wins.
Jamario Moon (2007–09): Fans appreciated Moon’s rags-to-riches story as much as his blocked shots and high-flying dunks. Moon was adept in both areas, and his laid-back style and ear-to-ear smile won him a lot of hearts, too.
