The official 20th anniversary of the Toronto Raptors first game came four days ago—on November 3—sandwiched between a loss to the Heat in Miami and an expected win over a depleted Oklahoma City squad.
The date passed with little fanfare from Canada’s lone NBA franchise, but that may have been by design. The spotlight will be shining bright tonight as the organization celebrates its history with a throwback to one of the most unique—and debated—uniforms in sports history.
When the Raptors host the Washington Wizards Friday night, they’ll do so wearing the original jersey designs from the inaugural 1995-96 season. The jagged pinstripes, funky font and large dinosaur crest will be back in full effect at Air Canada Centre. And tonight’s tilt is just the first of seven games this year in which the Raptors will don the retro duds.
Dwane Casey’s crew is hoping to stay undefeated at home and improve to 5-1 overall. It has been a solid start to a 2014-15 season that many believe could ultimately provide Toronto with the greatest post-season possibilities in club history.
Twenty years from now fans could be celebrating this Raptors team; telling stories of the success of guys like Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and Jonas Valanciunas.
But who paved the way for Toronto to become the basketball hotbed it is today? Who were the original ambassadors for this rookie franchise? The players that helped instill a passion for the game—and team—now entering its third decade?
On June 24, 1995, the NBA held its expansion draft for the Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies. The 27 other franchises were allowed to protect eight players from their existing rosters with the knowledge that they could lose a maximum of one player from those they left unprotected.
By virtue of a coin flip, Toronto selected first. Vancouver actually won the toss but elected to pick second in order to garner the higher selection in the ’95 entry draft. They landed the sixth pick in entry draft and used it on Bryant Reeves. The Raptors took Damon Stoudamire seventh.
Following 14 rounds of back-and-forth expansion draft selections, here is how the original Raptors’ roster looked (in the order they were selected):
B.J. Armstrong (from the Chicago Bulls)
Tony Massenburg (Los Angeles Clippers)
Andres Guibert (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Keith Jennings (Golden State Warriors)
Dontonio Wingfield (Seattle SuperSonics)
Doug Smith (Dallas Mavericks)
Jerome Kersey (Portland Trail Blazers)
Zan Tabak (Houston Rockets)
Willie Anderson (San Antonio Spurs)
Ed Pinckney (Milwaukee Bucks)
Acie Earl (Boston Celtics)
B.J. Tyler (Philadelphia 76ers)
John Salley (Miami Heat)
Oliver Miller (Detroit Pistons)
However, Toronto’s roster would drastically change by the time their first game rolled around. Armstrong—not exactly thrilled to leave the Bulls and head north of the border—was traded to Golden State for five players, including Carlos Rogers, Martin Lewis and Dwayne Whitfield.
Other players like Guibert, Jennings, Wingfield, Smith, Kersey and Tyler were either released, waived or retired. So the 12-man roster on opening night at Skydome against the New Jersey Nets, looked like this: Rogers, Pinckney, Tabak, Stoudamire, Earl, Salley, Anderson, Miller, Alvin Robertson, Tracy Murray, Victor Alexander and Jimmy King, Toronto’s second-round selection in the ’95 entry draft.
But what became of those guys? Where are they now?
Carlos Rogers reportedly has business interests in the Houston area and his son, Jeron, also a basketball player, is currently weighing multiple NCAA Division-I scholarship offers.
Ed Pinckney is an assistant coach with the Chicago Bulls
Zan Tabak is an assistant coach with Real Madrid
Damon Stoudamire is an assistant coach at the University of Arizona
Alvin Robertson has been in and out of jail for the last decade or so and is currently on trial for human trafficking (amongst other charges).
Tracy Murray is a radio and TV analyst for the UCLA Bruins.
Acie Earl coaches boys and girls basketball with Venom Sports Training and has authored a book about playing basketball overseas
John Salley hosts a TV show on the Travel Channel called, fittingly, “Being John Salley”.
Jimmy King is a financial services consultant in the greater Detroit area.
From there things get a bit murkier:
Oliver Miller was selling cars in Mesa, Arizona as recently as May 2013, but doesn’t appear to be doing that any longer.
Victor Alexander was working with the Professional Basketball Alumni Association.
Willie Anderson is in the breeze. I couldn’t find anything recent on him.
Over the course of this 20th anniversary season, the Raptors will be inviting honouring a ton of former players—beginning tonight with Antonio Davis and Alvin Williams.