Thanks to a move that occurred in late December of 2013, this calendar year has been like no other for the Toronto Raptors.
The surprising trade of Rudy Gay, Aaron Gray and Quincy Acy to the Sacramento Kings for Greivis Vasquez, Patrick Patterson, Chuck Hayes and John Salmons was the catalyst to one of the most memorable playoff series in Raptors history, an off-season of continued franchise building, and the best start to a season the club’s ever enjoyed.
In addition, the involvement of Toronto rapper Drake and the wildly successful “We The North” marketing campaign, 2014 also saw the Raptors return to prominence in both Canada and the United States — something not seen since the Vince Carter glory years.
And although this past was good to Canada’s lone NBA franchise, there was plenty of other big storylines across the Association. As far as Canadian content goes, it was a historic year with a record three Canucks being drafted in the NBA’s first round, including Thornhill, Ont., phenom Andrew Wiggins, who went first overall — just a year after Anthony Bennett of Brampton, Ont., went No. 1.
And let’s not forget the San Antonio Spurs getting revenge on the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals and the league anointing a new commissioner in Adam Silver. Here are sportsnet.ca’s biggest NBA stories of 2014.
It’s time to forgive Vince Carter (Jan. 23)
Vince Carter remains the greatest player in Raptors history and was honoured for that fact earlier this season. However, before that touching tribute, both sides remained estranged from each other. In order for the healing to begin, forgiveness is needed and that’s exactly what Michael Grange proposed. Given the reaction to the tribute and a report indicating the Raptors’ interest to bring him back from earlier this year, it’s safe to assume that the healing has begun.
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Former ref Donaghy: Raptors-Nets series rigged (Apr. 22)
Tim Donaghy isn’t the most trustworthy source, but if anyone would know the intricacies of rigging a basketball game as an official, he’s the man. The disgraced former NBA referee appeared on The Jeff Blair Show during the Raptors-Nets playoff series and claimed that the league was specifically setting up a Brooklyn-Miami conference semifinal. The league denied these claims from Donaghy, discrediting him as a convicted felon. Donaghy has a clear agenda against the NBA, but his thoughts were interesting regardless.
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Adam Silver drops hammer on Donald Sterling (Apr. 29)
It didn’t take long for Adam Silver to face his first tough test as new NBA commissioner. When a recording of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling making racist comments was leaked, everyone in the basketball world demanded swift justice, including the Clippers players themselves who considered boycotting Game 4 of their first-round playoff series with the Golden State Warriors. On Apr. 29, justice was served as Silver, not even three months into his new job, delivered what may very well end up being his defining moment as commissioner, banning Sterling for life from the Clippers and the NBA as a whole.
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Raptors send message to NBA with Lowry deal (Jul. 2)
Kyle Lowry agreed to a four-year, $48-million deal to remain with the Toronto Raptors on Jul. 2, in a move that sent a clear message to the rest of the NBA: the Raptors weren’t just some glorified practice squad for stars to develop before bolting to greener pastures. Lowry had an opportunity to leave and return to Houston, but opted to remain with the team that challenged him to grow up and become a leader. The decision didn’t come as a big surprise in Toronto, where Lowry hinted that he’d re-sign following the team’s Game 7 loss to the Nets.
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LeBron goes home to Cleveland: A complete guide (Jul. 11)
“I’m coming home.” Three simple words that rocked not only the NBA, but much of the sporting world. LeBron James’ decision to return to Cleveland was captured in a heartfelt letter in Sports Illustrated that showed a man who had clearly matured since “The Decision” and was ready to right the wrongs he made several years earlier.
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Love deal sets stage for Wiggins’ homecoming (Aug. 7)
After months of speculation, Kevin Love was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a package involving Canadian No. 1 overall picks Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett. The trade drew a lot of reaction around the league and included in that was how it might impact the Raptors. The most intriguing thought to come out of the trade came from Michael Grange, who boldly stated that with Wiggins heading to Minnesota, the allure of coming home to Toronto may be too good to pass up when his rookie contract expires in four years.
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O to $25,000 real quick: Drake makes Durant pitch (Aug. 13)
Last name: Ever. First name: Greatest pitch man. While the Raptors’ decision to bring superstar rapper Drake on board as the team’s global ambassador was mocked by some, it has proven to get the attention of the sporting world. Case in point: during a concert in Toronto this past summer, Drake made a pitch to league MVP Kevin Durant to sign with Toronto when his contract is up in 2016. As a result, the Raptors were reportedly fined $25,000 for “tampering” and then were allegedly offered to have the fine rescinded if they dropped Drake, according to another report.
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Kevin Durant on Twitter
Caboclo makes Raptors debut, Twitter explodes (Nov. 21)
Bruno Caboclo wasn’t exactly welcomed with great fanfare when the Raptors took him 20th overall in the draft, but the Brazilian teenager has endeared himself to the fans, and that was most obvious when he made his NBA debut against the Milwaukee Bucks. With a win well in hand for the Raptors, and fans in the Air Canada Centre began chanting his name. An alley-oop, a blocked shot, a couple of treys and eight points later and the social media world erupted. It also raised the question: should we be raising our expectations of Bruno?
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Bruno Caboclo on Twitter
Playoff odds have Raptors as title favourites (Nov. 26)
The Toronto Raptors entered the 2014-15 NBA season as a definite playoff team and an almost surefire lock to repeat as Atlantic Division champions. Following a 13-2 start to the season, however, expectations soared with the team appearing to be a legitimate contender for the Eastern Conference title, at one point looking like one of the two best teams in the league and even having an ESPN analyst penciling them in as NBA title favourites.
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Hard Foul: The Tyler Hansbrough Story (Nov. 27)
At one point, Tyler Hansbrough was the face of college basketball, but his star power has not transitioned the same way to the NBA. One thing that has, however, is his never-say-never attitude and his ability to get underneath his opponents’ skin. His penchant for delivering hard fouls doesn’t help much when it comes to endearing himself to the rest of the league, but it’s that quality his teammates love. Sportsnet’s Dave Zarum profiled the man who refuses to back down from a challenge.
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