The team colours were to be bright red, purple, black and “Naismith silver” - in honour of Canadian James Naismith,įlickr CC/Michael Tipton Early Seasons (1995–98) The team’s logo featured an aggressive dinosaur dribbling a basketball. The moniker was likely influenced by the popularity of the Steven Spielberg blockbuster Jurassic Park (1993). The associated logo was revealed a few days later. On 15 May, the team’s moniker, the Toronto Raptors, was unveiled on Canadian national television. In 1994, fans were asked to submit their preference for the team’s new name, which resulted in a final list of 10 options: Beavers, Bobcats, Dragons, Grizzlies, Hogs, Scorpions, T-Rex, Tarantulas, Terriers and Raptors. The SkyDome (now Rogers Centre) while its own building was being completed. Part of the agreement was that Toronto would play its first two seasons in It would become the 28th team in the NBA at a then-record expansion fee of $125 million. On 30 September 1993, PBF was conditionally awarded a franchise for the 1995–96 season. In July 1993, an NBA expansion committee came to Toronto, where the PBF group explained their plan for a downtown arena - one that would be on the Toronto subway line. Thomas later became the Raptors’ first vice-president. Premier of Ontario David Peterson and former Detroit Pistons star Isiah The application was made by John Bitove, president of a financial services company, and a group that included former (PBF) made a formal application to acquire an NBA team. Two years earlier, in April 1993, Professional Basketball Franchise (Canada) Inc. It was a big step for the NBA, as the move marked the first time the league expanded beyond the United States. The Toronto Raptors were one of two expansion teams that joined the NBA for the 1995–96 NBA season, the second being another Canadian franchise, the Vancouver Grizzlies. The Buffalo Braves of the NBA played 16 regular season games at Maple Leaf Gardens between 19. Professional basketball wouldn’t return to the city for nearly 50 years, although The Huskies lost to the Knickerbockers that evening and folded at the end of the 1946–47 season, which had seen low attendance and a dismal record of 22 wins and 38 losses. Toronto hosted the league’s first game on 1 November 1946, facing off against the New York Knickerbockers at Maple Leaf Gardens. Toronto’s first professional basketball team was the Toronto Huskies of the Basketball Association (© Raffaele1/Dreamstime) Pro Basketball Background: Toronto Huskies
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