NFL
By: Greg Rector
Toronto Raptors (7-5) as an organization in this era of NBA team building around the so-called “Big Three,” is refreshing to see them buck that type of thinking. Who had the Utah Jazz as the first team in the NBA to have 10 wins this season on their bingo card? No one I know, that’s for sure. Meanwhile, many of the teams constructed with the superstars are at .500 or well below at this juncture of the season. The Raptors meanwhile have developed a culture since the departure of Kawhi Leonard and even before he arrived. That culture reflects their market, namely the whole country of Canada.
The Carolina Way Influence
As many who know me already know, I have been a Dean Smith disciple forever. The University of North Carolina’s reputation was built upon the TEAM coming first always. You failed to follow that concept and you would be sitting on the bench in a blink of an eye, along with feeling the wrath of Coach Smith. For me the player that will always best exemplify that was James “Big Game,” Worthy. The Toronto Raptors have a group of guys that remind me of Worthy, not just one or two of them either. Even his “Airness,” Michael Jordan deferred from his individual abilities for the greater good of the team. It was Worthy and Sam Perkins who led those Tar Heels to a National Championship, not Jordan. Why North Carolina succeeds is simple enough, they beat you as a team. The Raptors do the same thing on a nightly basis win or lose.
Leadership
Obviously, that falls upon Pascal Siakim and Fred Van Vleet for Toronto. Neither one is a vocal type of leader. They have quiet personalities so it’s much more leadership by example. As Siakim is currently dealing with a strained abductor, Van Vleet is the unquestioned leader right now. OG Anunoby is another quiet guy however, he is next in line for seniority and leadership. Added to the mix now are veterans like Thad Young and Otto Porter Jr. you guessed it neither are vocal either. These players simply don’t demand the spotlight. They are a reflection of a culture that Masai Ujuri and Bobby Webster have built purposely. Siakim was injured against the Dallas Mavericks and Van Vleet was out already with lower back tightness. Who stepped up? Second-year player Scottie Barnes. The Raptors came back from 19 points down and lost by just one point. He just did his job. The same thing happened in the Raptors’ last game when Precious Aichuwa left with an ankle injury. Otto Porter Jr simply was the “next man up,” and delivered his best game of the season in the Raptors’ win over Houston. They simply do not care who scores, rebounds, or prevents baskets. They only care about the end result. Even though they have had losses with either Van Vleet or Siakim missing games, not once does anyone use their absence as an excuse.
The Canadian Way
For decades Canadian athletes were known to be humble. Of course, they were mainly hockey players. The humility of Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux despite their on-ice greatness was what they were known for. In the more modern era Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid. There’s really only been one exception and that was Olympian Donovan Bailey. Even now folks criticize him for his brashness at the Atlanta Olympics, despite his individual 100 meters gold medal and the 4×100 relay gold. Having been raised on this side of the border but being born in the U.S.A. trust me I have been on the receiving end of the differences my whole life. This is a huge reason why the country has fallen so much in love with this organization. they reflect the people they play for. It’s the character of the players. They don’t say controversial things, they stay away from being in legal trouble, and they care about the community. When you are underdogs and not given the same attention as others it brings you together. We all know Fred Van Vleet went undrafted, Siakim was overlooked and his journey from Cameroon to just be in the NBA is a great story in itself. When you live north of the U.S. you are outnumbered 9 to 1. These Raptors get that and they relish the role.
Not Superstars?
Because they aren’t seen on the U.S. television networks doesn’t mean these guys aren’t superstars. Raptors players get endorsement deals that no one in the United States even knows about. They might not be the mega-deals others in the NBA get. Subway has Charles, Steph, and a cast of other NBA players doing their commercials. In Canada, it’s Scottie Barnes. Fred Van Vleet a national men’s clothing chain, Pascal Siakim, Scottie Barnes, and OG Anunoby all have done spots for Jif peanut butter and Smucker’s jam. Barnes is also the face of the Google Pixel 7 phone. They sort of get the last laugh, a 36 million-person fanbase is nothing to sneeze at. Before his injury, Siakim was playing at a 26/9/7 rate currently, no one is close to the NBA steals leader OG Anunoby at 3.1 steals per game while Van Vleet is tied for second at 2.3 per game. That has helped the Raptors be the runaway leaders in fast break points so far. There are two things that have hurt them and led to 3 losses they really should not have. A bad shooting night can hit any team, that was the case when the Nets beat Toronto for one of those losses. In the other two losses, the Raptors simply put up too many contested three-point shots early in the shot clock. It cost them against the Mavericks and the Bulls. That was addressed by Nick Nurse in a hurry.
NBA League Pass
If you do have the league pass, go ahead and switch to a Raptors game and you will see what I have written about in this article. You won’t see them on TNT or ESPN. Give them a chance folks. They will entertain you and the Raptors will play their TEAM FIRST game no matter the circumstances. There is no I in “team,” and We The North isn’t just a slogan, it’s the Toronto Raptors Way, The Canadian Way.
As always you can find me on Twitter @GregCowboys
