The Toronto Raptors, alongside the Vancouver Grizzlies, became the first Canadian NBA franchises in 1995. This means the 2024-25 season will mark the 30th since Toronto got its own NBA franchise. Over that time, the Raptors have been graced with multiple star players and a championship in the 2018-19 season. To celebrate the Raptors 30th season, let’s look at the four most significant players to ever suit up for Toronto.
The 4 Greatest Toronto Raptors Of All Time
4. Chris Bosh
The Raptors drafted Chris Bosh with the fourth pick in the 2003 draft. Bosh joined a veteran group led by Vince Carter—at least, that’s what it seemed like in his rookie year. By the end of his second season, Carter was long gone, leaving the Raptors needing a new star. Bosh more than answered Toronto’s calls for a new northern star, making his first of many All-Stars the following season. From there, Bosh established himself as a bonafide star and the driving force behind the Raptors’ third-best era. His time with the Raptors would end in the 2011 offseason when he took his talents to South Beach. Bosh ended his time in Toronto as a five-time All-Star and a one-time All-NBA player, leading the Raptors to two postseason appearances.
3. Vince Carter
By the end of the Raptors third season, fans were tired of losing and needed something or someone to cheer for. That someone came in the form of a high-flying, 22-year-old Carter. Carter instantly brought life to the Raptors, winning Rookie of the Year and helping the team win seven more games than the previous season. The fans loved Carter. His supreme athleticism captivated an entire generation of not just Canadian fans but basketball fans globally. It helped put the Raptors on the map for the first time in history.
Carter kept the Raptors on the map with his play on the court, leading Toronto to its first-ever postseason in his sophomore year. From there, Carter would lead the Raptors to two more playoffs, even making it to the second round in 2001, making it the second-most successful era for the Raptors. While his time with the Raptors ended on a low note, Carter carried the franchise for years. During his time with Toronto, Carter made five All-Stars and two All-NBA teams, becoming the first Raptor to earn both honors.
2. DeMar DeRozan
You can’t discuss the Toronto Raptors’ history without mentioning DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan, along with another Raptor, is the face of the team’s most successful era. However, it didn’t start like this for DeRozan. He was drafted at the end of Bosh’s run with Toronto, inheriting a team far from competing. In his first four years with the team, Toronto failed to win more than 40 games, and DeRozan didn’t look like the star the Raptors needed. That all changed in his fifth season, when he and the team finally broke through. DeRozan was named to his first All-Star team and helped carry the Raptors to their first postseason in five seasons.
From there, the Raptors entered the best era of Toronto basketball. DeRozan helped lead the team to five straight playoff appearances, including one conference finals appearance and three second-round showings. With the Raptors, DeRozan would make four All-Stars and two All-NBA teams before being traded. While DeRozan wasn’t around to see the end of this era of Raptors basketball, the era would have never started without him.
1. Kyle Lowry
Like DeRozan, you can’t talk about the Raptors without mentioning Kyle Lowry. Lowry is the other face of the Raptors most successful era alongside DeRozan. Lowry is the only player on this list who wasn’t drafted by Toronto, having been acquired in a trade with Houston. Yet Lowry feels more like a Raptor than anyone else on this list. He fully embraced the city and the people of Toronto and was a vital part of the team, which finally won a championship in 2019. Lowry was the second-driving force behind the start of the greatest era of Raptors basketball and was a part of the team until it ended in the 2020-21 Tampa season.
He helped lead the team to seven straight playoff appearances, an NBA title, two conference finals, and five consecutive conference semifinals. Lowry made six All-Star teams and one All-NBA team in his time with the Raptors and will have his jersey retired once he laces them up for the last time.
The Man Behind The Scenes
Even though he has never scored a single basket for Toronto, one man must be mentioned here. Masai Ujiri was hired as the executive vice president and general manager of the Raptors in 2013. Since his hiring, Toronto has made the postseason eight times and has had nine winning seasons under him. That is more than the rest of the team’s history combined. Ujiri has turned the Raptors into one of the best-run organizations in the league, and his impact can’t be overstated.
