Dinosaur Reign: The Story of the Toronto Raptors Dynasty

[alysson124038]

Does this happen at the same time of the Dawg timeline?

 

[marcothesportsfan]

Does this happen at the same time of the Dawg timeline?

Sorta. The events of ''Dawg Pound Dynasty'' occur in TTL, but because that's football, & I'm focusing on the NBA here, I won't go in-depth into that, as everybody already knows what happened there.

 

[marcothesportsfan]

Opening Night of the 1999-2000 NBA season… man, that was the best night of my life. Hearing people chant “MVP” at me as I walked up to get my championship ring… coming from the CBA to that, that’s what you work hard for.
- Darrell Armstrong, from the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”

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Man, the 1999-2000 season, we were just dominating. We were favourites in every game we played, and we proved it. After getting off to a 4-0 start, we lost 1 game, and then we went on a 28-game winning streak. We were just winning for two months straight. What pisses me off about that is that we didn’t manage to break the record. After the first 25 games of the season, we had the best NBA record of all-time, and held that record through the All-Star break. And the best part: All-Star Weekend was being held right here in Toronto. This year was gonna be our showcase. I remember telling everybody, “The only thing that can stop us is Y2K,” and they were all cracking up, and Kobe then told me, “Don’t get cocky now.” Kobe was right, though, because the success hid a dark secret. The injuries were piling up: Theo went down, Steve went down, Jermaine went down, Mikki went down early, didn’t come back until February. Even though we were being hailed as the “best team of all time,” we weren’t really feeling like it because we weren’t at full strength all the time. Somebody would always be hurt. And Theo not getting into the All-Star Game again killed us, because we knew had he stayed healthy, we could have had the “starting 5” all together again, this time with head coach Brendan Malone. Sadly, it would be just 4 of us and the head coach. But Ratliff got courtside tickets to the game on us, so it was all good with him.
- Kevin Garnett, from the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”

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2000 NBA All-Star Game Rosters:
East:
Starters:
PG Stephon Marbury (New York Knicks)
SG Kobe Bryant (Toronto Raptors)
SF Grant Hill (Detroit Pistons)
PF Kevin Garnett (Toronto Raptors)
C Alonzo Mourning (Miami Heat)

Bench:
PG Darrell Armstrong (Toronto Raptors)
PG Terrell Brandon (Cleveland Cavaliers)
SG Reggie Miller (Indiana Pacers)
SG Jerry Stackhouse (Philadelphia 76ers)
SF Michael Finley (Toronto Raptors)
SF Eddie Jones (Charlotte Hornets)
PF Elton Brand (Chicago Bulls)
PF Antoine Walker (Boston Celtics)
C Elden Campbell (Charlotte Hornets)
C Dikembe Mutombo (Atlanta Hawks)


West:
Starters:
PG Gary Payton (Seattle SuperSonics)
SG Vince Carter (Denver Nuggets)
SF Shareef Abdur-Rahim (Sacramento Kings)
PF Karl Malone (Utah Jazz)
C Shaquille O’Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)

Bench:
PG Sam Cassell (Phoenix Suns)
PG Jason Kidd (Minnesota Timberwolves)
SG Ray Allen (Vancouver Grizzlies)
SG Allen Iverson (Los Angeles Lakers)
SF Jamal Mashburn (Dallas Mavericks)
SF Clifford Robinson (Phoenix Suns)
PF Shawn Kemp (Seattle SuperSonics)
PF Chris Webber (Sacramento Kings)
C Vlade Divac (Sacramento Kings)
C David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs) (All-Star Game MVP)

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All-Star Weekend in Toronto hugely successful, despite disappointing East loss
Toronto Star
February 14, 2000

(TORONTO) – The first NBA All-Star Weekend of the new millennium, held right here in Toronto, was a resounding success in every possible way. Except for the fact that the Eastern Conference All-Stars (which includes the Raptors’ All-Stars) lost the game. Still, the event served as the showcase of what many are calling the “new and improved Toronto.”

Star San Antonio Spurs center David Robinson, who delivered 23 points in the West’s 146-135 victory over the East en route to an All-Star Game MVP, said that “it was an absolute pleasure to play in a city like Toronto. Now I see why Darrell, Kobe, Michael, and Kevin wanted to stay here for the long run. I know it gets a bad rep, but Toronto is clearly a world-class city.”

Star Denver Nuggets guard Vince Carter, who also doubled as a slam dunk champion in what many are calling the greatest slam dunk contest performance of all-time, remarked that “even though the team’s been around for only 5 years, the Raptors seem to have built a massive, dedicated, and passionate fanbase around here.” He then joked that he “wished he was playing here instead of Kobe or Michael.”

Carter would have every right to respect the Raptors’ fanbase: at the introduction of each Raptor to the All-Star Game, the cheers were deafeningly loud. This was mainly because Raptors PA announcer Herbie Kuhn added, “from your defending world champion Toronto Raptors” to every introduction of a Raptors player. However, even if it weren’t for that, Raptors fans would have every reason to blow the roof off for an All-Star Game in their own building: 4 of their own players were represented, with 2 of them starting, and the Raptors are going into the All-Star break with a 44-3 record fresh off of a championship season, leaving many to ask if these Raptors are the best team of all-time. When Carter was asked this question, he replied, “Oh yeah. Without question. The Raptors are the best team I’ve ever seen, and them hosting the All-Star Game now just seems like perfect timing. Plus, my cousin Tracy McGrady plays there, so yeah.”

Meanwhile, Michael Finley, who scored a game-high 36 points and would have been an obvious choice for All-Star Game MVP had the East won, took time to congratulate the Toronto fans, thanking them for “being the best fans in the world, being orderly, making sure nothing went wrong. We look at it as being the way we play represents you guys. Toronto is a city that deserves the best, and they got it tonight.”

Kobe Bryant also expressed his amazement at the success of the proceedings, saying that “this is the reason why I chose Toronto. I knew that the city had a culture like this, and that the city treats its athletes really well and is crazy about its sports. Every day, my decision to come back here is looking better and better.”

Though Kevin Garnett said that his “ears were ringing from all the cheers,” he also said that “he didn’t blame the fans for blowing the roof off. If I was a fan of a team like ours with a situation like this, I would have done the same.”

Darrell Armstrong also said he “felt amazed when he still received ‘MVP’ chants from the fans during his All-Star Game introduction, even though the Finals happened 8 months ago, and we’re trying to focus on winning another championship. This just goes to show how much these Toronto fans appreciate their sports, and how much I love being here.”

The fact that the All-Star Weekend’s proceedings remained orderly, with no real violence or misconduct of any sort, is also something to be proud of for the city of Toronto, especially considering last year’s championship riots. Toronto Police Chief David Boothby, who oversaw both the riots and this year’s All-Star Weekend, complimented the fans on “their behaviour, their politeness, and their openness to these All-Stars. Torontonians have really turned it around in these 8 months and gone back to acting like the nice, polite people that we know exist in this country. We didn’t have to make any arrests, so that’s a good thing.” After the 1999 championship riots, it was announced that security and police presence would be beefed up for all Raptors playoff games, prominent regular season games against other championship contenders, and future All-Star games held in the city, including this one. It’s safe to say that this effort worked.

Raptors owners John Bitove and Allan Slaight, in an official statement from Slaight Corporation, thanked Raptors fans and everyone involved in All-Star Weekend for “cooperating, and making it a safe and entertaining weekend for all involved.”

While those at Slaight Corporation pat themselves on the back for a job well done with this All-Star Weekend, their on-court product, the Toronto Raptors, will be tested almost immediately after this All-Star Break: tomorrow night, they will be having a prime-time game at the ACC against Stephon Marbury and the Knicks, followed by a road trip the next day to face the Indiana Pacers, the team they faced in the Eastern Conference Finals.

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The Raptors went on a 24-game winning streak at the All-Star break, leaving themselves at 69-4 by the end of March. They were on track to do the unthinkable, and after losing to Detroit on April 4, they would do it in Atlanta 3 days later.
- From the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”

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Raptors @ Hawks
Courtesy of NBC
Aired April 7, 2000
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT.

BOB COSTAS: To Ratliff, the pass inside… he dunks it! And it’s over! Toronto Raptors 114, Atlanta Hawks 98! And the Toronto Raptors have done it! They have become the first team in NBA history to win 70 games in the regular season! They have set an NBA record!

DOUG COLLINS: Just an unbelievable season for them, Bob.

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After the Raptors’ 1998-99 season, where they went 69-13 and won their first-ever championship over the Seattle SuperSonics, the main question going into the 1999-2000 season was: what could they do for an encore? As it turns out, a lot.

First, general manager Isiah Thomas managed to keep the team together by re-signing Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Ben Wallace, and Jermaine O’Neal in the offseason, while drafting Todd MacCulloch in the first round and Chris “Birdman” Andersen in the second round. Fun fact: the Birdman was actually a Raptors player before he tattooed his entire body and went crazy. He also managed to retain practice squad players Damon Jones, Mikki Moore, and signed a young Bruce Bowen, who would turn out to be one of the greatest defenders in NBA history.

And the results were spectacular. The Raptors went on separate 28- and 24-game winning streaks on their way to shattering the NBA record for regular season victories in a single season, as they would finish the season 77-5. For the first time in NBA history, the Raptors were betting favourites in every game that they played. The Raptors also shattered their own NBA record for average point differential per game in a season, at +19.1 (the previous record was +14.9), having the 2nd-best offense in the league, scoring 113.8 points per game, and the 4th-stingiest defense in the league, allowing 94.7 points per game. Oh yeah, and Toronto also hosted the All-Star Game, sending 4 of their players in Darrell Armstrong, Kobe Bryant, Michael Finley, and Kevin Garnett, and head coach Brendan Malone, to represent them.

Starting point guard Darrell Armstrong led the league in steals (2.8 steals/game), while once again being named to the All-Star Game and being one of only 3 Raptors to play all 82 games. In 31.6 minutes per game, he averaged 17.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists, and kept up his excellent free throw shooting, posting 89% from the line. While still being well-known for his alley-oop passes, he showcased newfound scoring ability and aggression that carried over from his Finals MVP performance the previous year that turned him into an all-around superstar point guard, and a Defensive Player of the Year. While this might have limited touches for the Raptors’ other All-Stars, having 4 players who could go off and lead the team to victory with scoring on any given night was a scary proposition for any team to deal with.

Starting shooting guard Kobe Bryant, in only 34.2 minutes per game, still averaged 20.3 points, 6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game on 49% shooting, 36% shooting from three, and 83% shooting from the free throw line. While he continued to dazzle with highlight-reel dunks, he was now evolving into a more complete player than ever, taking after the model of Michael Jordan’s career. At 21, many were considering him the “most talented player in the league.” He was also named to the All-NBA Second Team and as a starter in the All-Star Game for his play.

Starting small forward Michael Finley once again led the team in scoring (21.3/game) and minutes (40.0/game), while also averaging 6.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.3 steals and shooting 48% from the field. He was also one of only 3 Raptors to play all 82 games this season, and would use the time to showcase a new and much-improved element to his game: three-point shooting. He shot 44% from three-point range this year, turning himself into one of the most deadly shooters in the league. He was again named to the NBA All-Star Game and the All-NBA Third Team, and continued to give the Raptors a scoring threat from anywhere on the court. Finley was so amazing this season that many think he could have easily led the league in scoring this season had he not had to share the ball with Armstrong, Bryant, and Garnett. Fans still debate whether or not his scoring totals were positively or negatively affected by the talent around him, but that doesn’t change the fact that this season, he showed why he was one of the most prominent NBA players at the turn of the millennium.

Starting power forward Kevin Garnett had a season for the ages; on 37.5 minutes per game, he averaged 21.1 points on 52% shooting from the field, 11.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 blocks. He was named an All-Star Game starter for the third straight year, an All-Star for the fourth year in a row, and he was widely considered as the best player in the league. For all of this, at age 23, he would finally be given just recognition: he was named to the All-NBA First Team, and was the Raptors’ first-ever MVP. He was considered for Defensive Player of the Year, but that award would be given to teammate Darrell Armstrong.

While Armstrong, Bryant, Finley, and Garnett vaulted into superstardom, starting center Theo Ratliff would be held to only 58 games due to injury, costing him another All-Star selection, and possibly a Defensive Player of the Year award. In the games that he did play, however, he averaged 2.9 blocks (4th in the league) and 11.3 points on 53% shooting and 29.2 minutes per game. Many people joke that the team would’ve “gone 82-0 if Ratliff didn’t get hurt that year,” but it would turn out to be no joke, as injuries would go on to plague Ratliff for the remainder of his career.

On the bench, Tracy McGrady was the only player to play all 82 games, and in 15.7 minutes per game, he averaged 8.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks, showing tremendous improvement and a desire for the starting role. Unfortunately, Bryant and Finley occupied the starting shooting guard and small forward roles, respectively, so McGrady had to settle for being a sixth man. Ben Wallace played 80 games, averaging 3.9 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in only 12.5 minutes per game as Garnett went on to have an MVP season. Other than that, the bench was injury-plagued: Brad Miller only played 70 games, Steve Nash and Bruce Bowen only played 55 games each, and Jermaine O’Neal only played 52 games.

While the Raptors would have arguably their most dominant season of all-time, it also included elements that would foreshadow things to come for them. Injuries began to take a toll on many of their players, with some viewing it as karmic payback for the 1999 championship riots. There were also rumours that several Raptors players, including Darrell Armstrong, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, and Tracy McGrady were disgruntled with their roles on the team, and wanted star roles elsewhere. Armstrong, in particular, began to complain about his contract: he was only being paid $4 million per year despite being an All-Star for each of the last 2 seasons, and the 1999 Finals MVP. While the cracks in the Raptors’ foundation began to show, in public, the team maintained a unified front, always stating in interviews that “a championship was the ultimate goal,” and that “it was never about money or how many times one player gets the ball.” That front would be tested again in the playoffs, as the Raptors went for their first-ever title defense.

- Excerpt from Bleacher Report article “The 1999-2000 Season: Greatest Team Ever?” from the Bleacher Report article series “Raptors Dynasty: A Year-by-Year History of the Toronto Raptors, 1995-2015”

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1999-2000 NBA Awards:
Most Valuable Player: Kevin Garnett (Toronto Raptors)
Rookie of the Year: Elton Brand (Chicago Bulls)
Defensive Player of the Year: Darrell Armstrong (Toronto Raptors)
Most Improved Player: Jalen Rose (Indiana Pacers)
Sixth Man of the Year: Toni Kukoc (New Jersey Nets)
Scoring Champion: Shaquille O’Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)
Rebounding Champion: Shaquille O’Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)
Assists Champion: Gary Payton (Seattle SuperSonics)
Steals Champion: Darrell Armstrong (Toronto Raptors)
Blocks Champion: Dikembe Mutombo (Atlanta Hawks)

All-NBA 1st Team:
G Gary Payton (Seattle SuperSonics)
G Vince Carter (Denver Nuggets)
F Kevin Garnett (Toronto Raptors)
F Karl Malone (Utah Jazz)
C Shaquille O’Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)

All-NBA 2nd Team:
G Stephon Marbury (New York Knicks)
G Kobe Bryant (Toronto Raptors)
F Chris Webber (Sacramento Kings)
F Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
C David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs)

All-NBA 3rd Team:
G Terrell Brandon (Cleveland Cavaliers)
G Ray Allen (Vancouver Grizzlies)
F Michael Finley (Toronto Raptors)
F Shareef Abdur-Rahim (Sacramento Kings)
C Alonzo Mourning (Miami Heat)

All-Rookie Team:
Andre Miller (Atlanta Hawks)
Steve Francis (Los Angeles Clippers)
Wally Szczerbiak (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Lamar Odom (Chicago Bulls)
Elton Brand (Chicago Bulls)

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1999-2000 NBA Standings
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
New York: 44-38 (2)
Washington: 43-39 (6)
New Jersey: 41-41 (8)
Miami: 39-43
Philadelphia: 29-53
Boston: 27-55
Orlando: 21-61

Central Division
Toronto: 77-5 (1)
Indiana: 53-29 (3)
Cleveland: 51-31 (4)
Detroit: 47-35 (5)
Atlanta: 42-40 (7)
Charlotte: 39-43
Milwaukee: 26-56
Chicago: 26-56


Western Conference
Midwest Division
Utah: 50-32 (2)
San Antonio: 46-36 (5)
Denver: 44-38 (7)
Phoenix: 38-44 (8)
Houston: 36-46
Dallas: 36-46
Minnesota: 31-51

Pacific Division
Seattle: 58-24 (1)
Sacramento: 55-27 (3)
LA Lakers: 48-34 (4)
Vancouver: 45-37 (6)
Portland: 34-48
Golden State: 32-50
LA Clippers: 31-51

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2000 NBA Playoffs:
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals:
Toronto (1) vs. New Jersey (8)
Cleveland (4) vs. Detroit (5)
Indiana (3) vs. Washington (6)
New York (2) vs. Atlanta (7)

Western Conference Quarterfinals:
Seattle (1) vs. Phoenix (8)
LA Lakers (4) vs. San Antonio (5)
Sacramento (3) vs. Vancouver (6)
Utah (2) vs. Denver (7)

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2000 NBA Playoff Preview: Can the Raptors “run the table” in the playoffs? Our experts seem to think so
Sports Illustrated
April 30, 2000 issue

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals:
Raptors over Nets, 3-0
Cavaliers over Pistons, 3-2
Pacers over Wizards, 3-0
Knicks over Hawks, 3-0

Western Conference Quarterfinals:
Supersonics over Suns, 3-0
Lakers over Spurs, 3-2
Kings over Grizzlies, 3-1
Jazz over Nuggets, 3-2

Eastern Conference Semifinals:
Raptors over Cavaliers, 4-0
Pacers over Knicks, 4-3

Western Conference Semifinals:
SuperSonics over Lakers, 4-3
Kings over Jazz, 4-2

Eastern Conference Finals: Raptors over Pacers, 4-0

Western Conference Finals: SuperSonics over Kings, 4-2

NBA Finals: Raptors over SuperSonics, 4-0

2000 NBA Champions (predicted): Toronto Raptors (again!)

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I’ll never forget what Brendan told the guys before Game 1 against New Jersey. “Listen, getting on top is not the hardest part. You guys should know that; you took only 4 years to do it. It’s staying on top. I should know, I did it with the Pistons 10 years ago. There’s gonna be a lot of things that people throw your way, and everybody’s gonna be coming after you with their best. Do not get intimidated, this is just the way things are. At this point, we’re not fighting to get anything; we’re fighting to maintain what we have, and our biggest competition is ourselves.” We went into the playoffs with that mindset of not with something to prove to the world, but something to prove to ourselves. Whether or not anyone said we were the “greatest team of all-time” or “a dysfunctional team” didn’t matter to us anymore. I honestly didn’t even care about winning MVP, though it was a great feeling. All that mattered was holding that trophy again in June.
- Kevin Garnett, from the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”

 

[Unknown]

Good update. Missing the source for one of your excerpts...

 

[DurableShift]

Nice to see the injury bug starting to get the Raptors. That's only normal, and even a great team can be beaten down by bad luck there.

Don't think they'll lose this year short of critical play off injuries or collapse, though.

 

[Unknown]

Looking forward to the 2000 playoffs...

 

[marcothesportsfan]

The first playoff obstacle for the 2000 Raptors would be the New Jersey Nets, a team that had revitalized itself after an injury-plagued 1999 season and snuck into the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Nets, they were going up against possibly the best team of all time. They had no chance. The Raptors would defeat them by 12, 27, and 25 points in a 3-game sweep that was more dominant than the score indicated.
- From the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”

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That sweep was something I talked about with the guys: finishing situations, and being able to dominate opponents and “rip their hearts out,” so to speak. I noticed that our players had taken to that very quickly, and that’s how they destroyed the Nets. Even Theo Ratliff, who was injury-plagued all season, was looking like his old self.
- Brendan Malone on CBC Sports podcast episode, Raptors: 20 Years of Excellence (November 3, 2015)

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Raptors Games:
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Toronto Raptors (1) vs. New Jersey Nets (8)
Game 1 (@ Toronto): Toronto 112, New Jersey 100: Toronto leads 1-0
Game 2 (@ Toronto): Toronto 104, New Jersey 77: Toronto leads 2-0
Game 3 (@ New Jersey): Toronto 105, New Jersey 81: Toronto wins 3-0
Toronto Raptors defeat New Jersey Nets 3-0, advance to Eastern Conference Semifinals against Cleveland Cavaliers

2000 NBA Conference Quarterfinals Results:
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals:
Toronto (1) over New Jersey (8): Toronto 3, New Jersey 0
Game 1: Toronto 112, New Jersey 100: Toronto leads 1-0
Game 2: Toronto 104, New Jersey 77: Toronto leads 2-0
Game 3: Toronto 105, New Jersey 81: Toronto wins 3-0

Cleveland (4) vs. Detroit (5): Cleveland 3, Detroit 1
Game 1: Cleveland 85, Detroit 71: Cleveland leads 1-0
Game 2: Cleveland 75, Detroit 69: Cleveland leads 2-0
Game 3: Detroit 80, Cleveland 49: Cleveland leads 2-1
Game 4: Cleveland 79, Detroit 78: Cleveland wins 3-1 (Tyrone Hill makes go-ahead shot with 54.1 seconds to go)

Indiana (3) over Washington (6): Indiana 3, Washington 0
Game 1: Indiana 94, Washington 82: Indiana leads 1-0
Game 2: Indiana 115, Washington 62: Indiana leads 2-0
Game 3: Indiana 106, Washington 99: Indiana wins 3-0

Atlanta (7) over New York (2): Atlanta 3, New York 0
Game 1: Atlanta 114, New York 111: Atlanta leads 1-0
Game 2: Atlanta 105, New York 85: Atlanta leads 2-0
Game 3: Atlanta 106, New York 93: Atlanta wins 3-0


Western Conference Quarterfinals:
Phoenix (8) over Seattle (1): Phoenix 3, Seattle 1
Game 1: Seattle 105, Phoenix 96: Seattle leads 1-0
Game 2: Phoenix 114, Seattle 105: Tied 1-1
Game 3: Phoenix 123, Seattle 115: Phoenix leads 2-1
Game 4: Phoenix 122, Seattle 115 (OT): Phoenix wins 3-1

LA Lakers (4) over San Antonio (5): LA Lakers 3, San Antonio 0
Game 1: LA Lakers 106, San Antonio 77: LA Lakers lead 1-0
Game 2: LA Lakers 101, San Antonio 68: LA Lakers lead 2-0
Game 3: LA Lakers 123, San Antonio 106: LA Lakers win 3-0

Sacramento (3) over Vancouver (6): Sacramento 3, Vancouver 1
Game 1: Vancouver 118, Sacramento 101: Vancouver leads 1-0
Game 2: Sacramento 112, Vancouver 94: Tied 1-1
Game 3: Sacramento 120, Vancouver 118: Sacramento leads 2-1
Game 4: Sacramento 130, Vancouver 106: Sacramento wins 3-1

Denver (7) vs. Utah (2): Denver 3, Utah 1
Game 1: Denver 120, Utah 106: Denver leads 1-0
Game 2: Utah 114, Denver 113: Tied 1-1 (John Stockton sinks game-winning layup with 2.2 seconds to go)
Game 3: Denver 121, Utah 105: Denver leads 2-1
Game 4: Denver 105, Utah 97: Denver wins 3-1


Eastern Conference Semifinals:
Toronto (1) vs. Cleveland (4)
Indiana (3) vs. Atlanta (7)


Western Conference Semifinals:
LA Lakers (4) vs. Phoenix (8)
Sacramento (3) vs. Denver (7)

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One of the things Kobe and Kevin are great at doing is getting guys all riled up to play somebody. So what they did when they found out we were going to play Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Semifinals was this: in the film room, every day before and after practice (and in the locker room before every game), they would set up the TV so that it would loop a DVD of the press conference where Bob Sura was introduced as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ free agent signing. The line, “I’m thankful to play in a place where I can really ‘show my skills’ as a player,” that really got us mad. We all had hard feelings towards Bob for leaving us in 1998, and we were gonna take it out on him. In Game 1, we beat them by 12, which was good and all, but Game 2 was the standout game of that whole series. When Kevin got his MVP trophy before Game 2, he insisted the Cavaliers watch the ceremony. (laughs) Man… the mind games in that Cleveland series.
- Darrell Armstrong, from the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary "We the North"

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2000 NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS, GAME 2: PRE-GAME MVP PRESENTATION
May 8, 2000
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT.

HERBIE KUHN: Basketball fans, at this time, please direct your attention to center court. The Toronto Raptors would like to welcome NBA Commissioner David Stern for a very special presentation.

(loud cheering & applause from fans in attendance)

DAVID STERN: Kevin, the past season has been truly amazing for you and your team. You averaged 21.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.5 blocks for a 77-win team. Your team, the Toronto Raptors, has won the most regular season games in NBA history by far this season, and you have clearly shown the leadership, passion, intensity, and loyalty that have seen this amazing regular season through. You have also brought the city of Toronto together, and have followed up last year’s championship season with what is, to date, the most remarkable run in NBA history. It is because of all of this that I am honoured to present the 1999-2000 NBA MVP, Kevin Garnett.

(Garnett shakes hands with commissioner, then lifts the MVP trophy over his head to a standing ovation from the Raptors crowd. He then points in the direction of Bob Sura, and then points to the Raptors’ 1999 championship banner in the Air Canada Centre rafters. The camera pans out to Bob Sura, who is obviously looking very salty. Kevin then puts the trophy down, and gets a microphone, ready to deliver his speech.)

KEVIN GARNETT: I just wanna say thank you to Commissioner, to John Bitove and Allan Slaight, best owners in the world, to Isiah Thomas for taking a chance on me, to my teammates, to my family, and to my fans.

(fans continue to stand & applaud, this time cheering has become deafening).

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In Game 2, Kevin Garnett showed why he deserved his MVP trophy, leading the way for the Raptors with 23 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. But it would be Kobe Bryant who would steal the show, even though he ended the night with only 6 points.
- From the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”

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2000 NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS, GAME 2
Courtesy of NBC
Aired May 8, 2000
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT.

BOB COSTAS: Hill inside… Armstrong the steal! Dribbles it, the long pass to Kobe…

(referee whistle as Kobe Bryant takes the ball behind his back mid-air and dunks it over Bob Sura, drawing the foul.)

BOB COSTAS: Oh my goodness! Are you kidding me? (laughs in bewilderement) Kobe Bryant takes it behind the back in mid-air and dunks it on Bob Sura, and he draws the foul!

DOUG COLLINS: Bob, even better than that, just listen to this crowd! They love what they just saw! There is no love lost for Bob Sura in this building!

BOB COSTAS: That is what you call “throwing salt on the wound.” (cuts to camera showing instant replay of the dunk at least 5 times in slow-motion before Kobe shoots his free throw)

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Oh man, that dunk on Bob Sura… (laughs) That’s the best thing I’ve ever seen. I was so happy to be the one who passed it to him when he did that. Man, when he threw that dunk down, we knew we were winning that series. Sura came back up court looking like he’d seen a ghost. He was never the same after that play.
- Darrell Armstrong, from the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”

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The Raptors would rally behind the momentum of the Bob Sura dunk to take Game 3, with Kobe Bryant scoring 38 points to break out of his cold streak. In Game 4, Bryant would lead the Raptors to victory again, and a full sweep of the Cavaliers by scoring 27. Everybody thinks that Kobe Bryant completely dominated Bob Sura the whole series, but what people forget is that Sura actually outplayed Bryant in Games 1 & 2; Sura scored 15 to Bryant’s 12 in Game 1, and Sura scored 9 to Bryant’s 6 in Game 2. But when you humiliate Sura like Kobe did, first with the dunk, & then with the Games 3 & 4 performances… that’s what people remember. It’s crazy how people’s memories are, sometimes.
- Isiah Thomas, from the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”

___________________________________________________________

The 2000 playoffs, they were a wild ride. In the West, you had Phoenix becoming only the second eight-seed in NBA history to knock off a one-seed by beating the Seattle SuperSonics, who had just taken us to seven games in the NBA Finals. You also had the seventh-seeded, young Denver Nuggets dominating the second-seeded and experienced Utah Jazz. And our Eastern Conference Finals opponent would turn out to be the seventh-seeded Atlanta Hawks; an attempt to blow up their roster, get younger, and tank had actually worked out really well for them. But it would not be enough to stop us.
- Raptors owner John Bitove, from the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”

___________________________________________________________

Raptors Games:
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Toronto Raptors (1) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (4)
Game 1 (@ Toronto): Toronto 109, Cleveland 97: Toronto leads 1-0
Game 2 (@ Toronto): Toronto 99, Cleveland 64: Toronto leads 2-0
Game 3 (@ Cleveland): Toronto 106, Cleveland 96: Toronto leads 3-0
Game 4 (@ Cleveland): Toronto 100, Cleveland 84: Toronto wins 4-0
Toronto Raptors defeat Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0, advance to Eastern Conference Finals against Atlanta Hawks


2000 NBA Conference Semifinals Results:
Eastern Conference Semifinals:
Toronto (1) over Cleveland (4): Toronto 4, Cleveland 0
Game 1: Toronto 109, Cleveland 97: Toronto leads 1-0
Game 2: Toronto 99, Cleveland 64: Toronto leads 2-0
Game 3: Toronto 106, Cleveland 96: Toronto leads 3-0
Game 4: Toronto 100, Cleveland 84: Toronto wins 4-0

Atlanta (7) vs. Indiana (3): Atlanta 4, Indiana 3
Game 1: Indiana 108, Atlanta 100: Indiana leads 1-0
Game 2: Atlanta 102, Indiana 83: Tied 1-1
Game 3: Indiana 100, Atlanta 92: Indiana leads 2-1
Game 4: Atlanta 97, Indiana 83: Tied 2-2
Game 5: Indiana 86, Atlanta 65: Indiana leads 3-2
Game 6: Atlanta 87, Indiana 82: Tied 3-3
Game 7: Atlanta 98, Indiana 94: Atlanta wins 4-3


Western Conference Semifinals:
LA Lakers (4) over Phoenix (8): LA Lakers 4, Phoenix 1
Game 1: LA Lakers 125, Phoenix 110: LA Lakers lead 1-0
Game 2: LA Lakers 118, Phoenix 109: LA Lakers lead 2-0
Game 3: Phoenix 120, LA Lakers 114: LA Lakers lead 2-1
Game 4: LA Lakers 125, Phoenix 117: LA Lakers lead 3-1
Game 5: LA Lakers 110, Phoenix 92: LA Lakers win 4-1

Sacramento (3) over Denver (7): Sacramento 4, Denver 0
Game 1: Sacramento 115, Denver 103: Sacramento leads 1-0
Game 2: Sacramento 113, Denver 89: Sacramento leads 2-0
Game 3: Sacramento 128, Denver 114: Sacramento leads 3-0
Game 4: Sacramento 116, Denver 87: Sacramento wins 4-0

Eastern Conference Finals: Toronto (1) vs. Atlanta (7)
Western Conference Finals: Sacramento (3) vs. LA Lakers (4)

___________________________________________________________

In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Toronto Raptors would face the Atlanta Hawks, a seventh seed who had knocked out the second-seeded New York Knicks, and the previous year’s other Eastern Conference finalist in the Indiana Pacers. Even though Ron Artest “guaranteed” a series victory against the Toronto Raptors, Game 1 would blow any confidence in that guarantee away, as the Raptors beat the Hawks 114-97 on the strength of 20-point-plus performances from Darrell Armstrong, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Garnett, and a surprise 11-point performance in only 16 minutes off the bench by Steve Nash. In Game 2, 7 players would score 10 points or more in a 22-point blowout, further exemplifying the Raptors’ commitment to a total team effort, and providing more evidence as to why the Raptors went 77-5 in the regular season. Game 3 would be host to a 27-point blowout by the Raptors in Atlanta, despite intense “Yes We Can” chants from Hawks fans. In Game 4, the Raptors would ride a 23-point performance from Michael Finley to victory, and an Eastern Conference Finals sweep over the Atlanta Hawks.
- From the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”

___________________________________________________________

2000 NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS, GAME 4
Courtesy of NBC
Aired May 29, 2000
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT.

BOB COSTAS: And Darrell Armstrong is gonna dribble out the clock here, 3, 2, 1…

(Buzzer sounds)

BOB COSTAS: It’s over! The Toronto Raptors are going back to the NBA Finals! They have become the first team in NBA history to sweep the first three rounds of the NBA Playoffs!

DOUG COLLINS: The Raptors continue to blow away and impress in these playoffs: not only did they beat these Hawks, they dominated them, with all of their victories being by 17 points or more.

BOB COSTAS: I’ve been watching these playoffs, Doug, and it honestly feels like in the East, it’s the Raptors and everybody else! And the scary thing is, the average age of this team is only 24! So it looks like we’re gonna keep seeing this domination for quite some time.

DOUG COLLINS: Yeah, Bob, Isiah putting this team together through the draft was one thing; now that he’s managed to keep them together, they’re dominating the NBA, and that’s just the way he likes it.

___________________________________________________________

Raptors Games:
Eastern Conference Finals: Toronto Raptors (1) vs. Atlanta Hawks (7)
Game 1 (@ Toronto): Toronto 114, Atlanta 97: Toronto leads 1-0
Game 2 (@ Toronto): Toronto 105, Atlanta 83: Toronto leads 2-0
Game 3 (@ Atlanta): Toronto 105, Atlanta 78: Toronto leads 3-0
Game 4 (@ Atlanta): Toronto 97, Atlanta 78: Toronto wins 4-0
Toronto Raptors beat Atlanta Hawks 4-0, advance to NBA Finals against TBD


2000 NBA Conference Finals Results:
Eastern Conference Finals: Toronto (1) over Atlanta (7): Toronto 4, Atlanta 0
Game 1: Toronto 114, Atlanta 97: Toronto leads 1-0
Game 2: Toronto 105, Atlanta 83: Toronto leads 2-0
Game 3: Toronto 105, Atlanta 78: Toronto leads 3-0
Game 4: Toronto 97, Atlanta 78: Toronto wins 4-0

Western Conference Finals: Sacramento (3) over LA Lakers (4): Sacramento 4, LA Lakers 2
Game 1: LA Lakers 123, Sacramento 118: LA Lakers lead 1-0
Game 2: Sacramento 124, LA Lakers 117: Tied 1-1
Game 3: Sacramento 134, LA Lakers 133: Sacramento leads 2-1
Game 4: LA Lakers 130, Sacramento 110: Tied 2-2
Game 5: Sacramento 112, LA Lakers 81: Sacramento leads 3-2
Game 6: Sacramento 114, LA Lakers 107: Sacramento wins 4-2

2000 NBA Finals: Toronto Raptors (E1) vs. Sacramento Kings (W3)

 

[TheMann]

I don't know whether to love the 77-5 record and the domination of the playoffs or be scared of the injury bug or some other jinx is gonna get them in the Finals....

 

[thekingsguard]

Damn, I was hoping they'd face off against the Lakers

 

[jrice9]

.

 

[marcothesportsfan]

VS.​

In the 2000 NBA Finals, the Raptors would face the Sacramento Kings, who had elevated into the elite echelon of the league, and defeated the mighty Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals thanks to MVP performances from Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Chris Webber. The Kings had the league’s highest-scoring offense, and like the Raptors, they were a young team on the rise. Naturally, they were very excited to get their shot at the champions.
- From the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”

___________________________________________________________

2000 NBA FINALS, GAME 1: PRE-GAME INTRODUCTION
Courtesy of NBC
Aired June 7, 2000


BOB COSTAS: Sometimes, it’s not the destination that is glorious as much as the journey it took to get there. And the journeys that the two teams have taken to get to these Finals are polar opposites indeed, and not just in the sense of Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference. The Toronto Raptors, hailing from cold, snowy Canada, have the hottest basketball team on the planet right now. After winning last year’s NBA championship in a 7-game thriller against the Seattle SuperSonics, the Raptors went on to a 77-5 regular season, the best in NBA history by far, and then went undefeated in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Right now, they are the prohibitive favourite to repeat as NBA champions. They had the league’s second-highest scoring offense and fourth-stingiest defense. The only team to score more than them? The Sacramento Kings. Hailing from warm, sunny California, they built their team from a combination of good drafting and other smart acquisitions. Within a few years, they were transformed from an aging team led by Mitch Richmond to the most electrifying and highest-scoring offense in the league, thanks to Jason Williams, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and Chris Webber. They achieved a stunning upset over the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, and are now ready to embrace their David role in the battle against the Raptors’ Goliath. Their offensive style of deadly shooting and pinpoint passing stands in contrast to the Raptors’ “attack-the-basket-at-all-costs” mode. But similarities do exist between these two teams: as young teams, they represent a new millennium of NBA basketball, and they both aspire to be the ones holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy after winning 4 games out of 7. But there can only be one. Game 1 next.

(cut to NBA on NBC TV intro)

ANNOUNCER: This is the NBA on NBC… the 2000 NBA Finals! Tonight, it’s Game 1 between the Sacramento Kings and the Toronto Raptors!

(cut inside the Air Canada Centre tunnel, where the Raptors and Kings are huddling & arriving onto the court)

BOB COSTAS: This first NBA Finals of the new millennium is a quest for both teams. For the Sacramento Kings, it is their first time here in half a century. All they have to do is win 4 games, but there are serious questions about whether they can do that, since the Raptors have only lost 5 games out of the 93 they’ve played all season. For the Toronto Raptors, they will attempt to complete the greatest single-season run in NBA history, up to this point, with a defense of their NBA championship.

___________________________________________________________

In Game 1, the Raptors would dominate, winning 138-123, led by Michael Finley’s 42 points, a Raptors playoff record. Darrell Armstrong scored 22 points, Kevin Garnett scored 20, and Theo Ratliff scored 21, marking an unbelieveable 4 players scoring 20 points or more. Even though Kobe Bryant had a cold night out with 16 points, the Raptors still dominated. However, by scoring 123 points against the vaunted Raptors defense, the Kings’ offense had sent a message that they were for real. It would be up to the Raptors to find a way to stop the lethal combination of Jason Williams, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Chris Webber, and Vlade Divac.
- From the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”

___________________________________________________________

Giving up 123 points to the Sacramento Kings in Game 1 was embarrassing, even though they were the highest-scoring offense in the league. So for the next 2 days, we’re breaking down game film, seeing where we need to shut down these guys. We needed to solve the Sacramento Kings. And in Game 2, we would do just that.
- Kevin Garnett, from the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”

___________________________________________________________

In Game 2, the Sacramento Kings would be held to 78 points, a total second only to their March 6 loss against the San Antonio Spurs for fewest team points scored in a single game all season. It was a brutal shutdown: Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Chris Webber would be held to a total of 12 points, with the Air Canada Centre crowd heckling them at every possession. Fortunately, in Game 3, the Raptors would be headed to the Kings’ own “loudhouse,” the ARCO Arena.
- From the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”

___________________________________________________________

13 is the unlucky number! Raptors beaten by Sacramento Kings, 117-110
Toronto Star
June 12, 2000

(SACRAMENTO) – Seems like 13 is an unlucky number after all. That’s the number of consecutive playoff wins the Raptors ran off before being beaten by the Sacramento Kings last night in a stunning upset, 117-110. This comes despite a 28-point, 10-rebound, 3-steal performance by superstar Kobe Bryant.

Bryant said of the loss, “We just need to play better. Go back to that defensive effort and intensity we showed in Game 2, and basically, throughout this entire playoffs. If we can do that, we’ll be ready for Wednesday.”

Meanwhile, in a performance that seems very reminiscent of what the Raptors do on a nightly basis, 5 Sacramento Kings players scored 10 or more points, with Player of the Game Shareef Abdur-Rahim scoring 25, and Chris Webber adding 19.

Abdur-Rahim said of his team’s victory, “We know what to expect whenever we play the Raptors. And we’re not afraid of them. You have 17,000 fans in here that’ll tell you the same thing. We’re ready for these guys. We’re not worried, because we know that all we have to do is win 3 more games, and I’m very confident that we can do that.”

The Kings have every reason to be: their arena was reportedly “just as loud as the Air Canada Centre,” according to an anonymous Raptors athletic trainer, and they did put up 123 points against the Raptors in their Game 1 loss.

This performance also takes away from the Raptors’ opportunity to become the first team in NBA history to go through the entire playoffs (including the Finals) without a loss. When asked about this missed opportunity, Bryant said that “it doesn’t matter how we get the 2 wins needed to bring the trophy home, all that matters is that we get those 2 wins.” When a reporter replied that “I think you meant 15,” Bryant said, “Hmmph. Whatever. It’s Game 3 of the Finals, not Game 1 of the First Round.”

But Bryant knows what he is talking about: last year, he was on a Raptors team that fell to the Seattle SuperSonics 3-2 in the NBA Finals, only to win the next 2 games and the NBA championship. The Raptors also do hold the record for the longest playoff winning streak in NBA history, with 13. Other Raptors in separate press interviews echoed Bryant’s sentiments, but Darrell Armstrong, in particular, expressed that he was “disappointed that we couldn’t make history. But we have to put this behind us and get ready for Game 4 on Wednesday.”

MVP Kevin Garnett, in particular, needs to put a string of bad games behind him: he had 4 turnovers in Game 2, and 6 turnovers in Game 3, and failed to crack the 20-point mark in either game. When asked of his slump, Garnett said that "the Kings are a damn good team. Don’t underestimate them. Abdur-Rahim and Webber are good players. But come Wednesday, I’m gonna show them who the best player in the league is.” Raptors fans hope he does, or else their team could be in trouble.

Game 4 will be televised nationally in Canada on CBC, CTV, Global, CityTV, TSN, and SportsNet, and in the United States on NBC, starting Wednesday night at 9:00 PM Eastern time.

___________________________________________________________

Game 3 would be followed up by one of the most dramatic finishes in NBA history. With the clock winding down in overtime and the score tied, Chris Webber would pull “The Layup.”
- From the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”

___________________________________________________________

2000 NBA FINALS, GAME 4
Courtesy of NBC
Aired June 14, 2000
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT.

BOB COSTAS: Finley on the driving layup… no good! Rebound Abdur-Rahim! We’re still tied at 142!

DOUG COLLINS: Now, if I’m the Kings, hold onto the ball, and try to get off the buzzer-beater. The hero should be whoever’s open, as the Kings have so many weapons, anybody can score. So look for the open man.

BOB COSTAS: Jon Barry into Webber… Webber drives, and a dunk!! Chris Webber with 3.8 seconds to go gives the Kings a 2-point lead! And the Raptors will call a timeout here!

DOUG COLLINS: What a play by Chris Webber! Now remember, he was part of the Wizards 3 years ago back when they were the Bullets, they lost their first-round series to Toronto, and Webber avenging that in a big way with this clutch layup!

(cut to instant replay)

DOUG COLLINS: Look at this, Barry is looking, he is guarded tightly by Bryant. You see Webber cutting! How he cuts through that defense, I don’t know. And Barry with the sweet behind-the-back bounce pass, Webber catches it low, and jams it through over Ratliff, what a play!

BOB COSTAS: 37 for Webber. (buzzer sounds) And the Raptors will head back to the court.

DOUG COLLINS: You’re the Raptors, you need a three. You’ve got Darrell Armstrong, Michael Finley, Kobe Bryant on the court, all guys that can shoot. You get it into one of them, you’re good.

BOB COSTAS: A two to send it into double overtime, a three to win. Armstrong… will inbound it to Finley, Finley quickly turns around, tries it over Abdur-Rahim… no good! Rebound Barry! (buzzer sounds) And that is it, ladies and gentlemen! We are tied at 2 games apiece! The Sacramento Kings will be coming back to Toronto in an improbable turn of events!

DOUG COLLINS: What a shocking way for this game to end for the 77-win Raptors!

___________________________________________________________

After 2 very close losses to the Sacramento Kings, the Raptors needed a response, and they needed it fast. Their response would be the biggest blowout in NBA Finals history: a 132-86 beatdown of the Sacramento Kings on their home court, setting the stage for a Game 6 back in Toronto. This happened despite Kobe Bryant being pulled 4 minutes into the game, in exchange for Fred Hoiberg, who scored 26 points. It seemed like the Raptors had all the momentum in the world: they had just put on a clinic against the Kings, and they were going back home to their fans. All they needed to do was win Game 6.
- From the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”

___________________________________________________________

Raptors win second straight NBA championship, capping off greatest season in NBA history
Toronto Star
June 19, 2000

(TORONTO) – Last night, in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, the Raptors beat the Sacramento Kings 135-124 to claim their second straight NBA championship, capping off the most remarkable season in NBA history. The championship is the culmination of a season in which the Raptors set the best single-season record in NBA history at 77-5, hosted the All-Star Game and sent 4 of its own players and its head coach to play in it, and only lost 2 games, both of which came during the NBA Finals, on their way to the championship.

During the presentation of the Larry O’Brien Trophy, David Stern called the team “the greatest single-season team that I have ever seen, running through the season and playoffs with the greatest of ease. The 1999-2000 Raptors are a team for the ages.”

Raptors owner John Bitove expressed “extreme pride for our Toronto Raptors for what they have done for this city, this country, and for the game of basketball as a whole. We’ve proven that we are the world’s best team again, and there’s no greater feeling than that.”

Kobe Bryant, who scored 33 points in the clinching game, was named Finals MVP after averaging 24 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 2.2 steals per game on 55% shooting and only 32.8 minutes per game. Bryant said after receiving MVP honours, “it’s an amazing feeling. Being recognized as the best player on a team that won a championship; you know, this is a real honour. Still, I’d take the championship over the MVP if I had to choose.”

It’s little wonder to many that Kobe Bryant has taken Finals MVP honours, as according to head coach Brendan Malone, he has “grown from a highlight machine into arguably the league’s top all-around player. Having him on our team gives us an explosive offensive weapon who is also very knowledgeable about the game. Combining those factors is absolutely lethal, and he showed it in these finals.” At a post-game press conference, regular season MVP Kevin Garnett even hummed a few lines of the “Like Mike” jingle, subbing Michael Jordan’s name with Kobe Bryant’s name and calling him “the best player in the league.”

Star small forward Michael Finley, another candidate for Finals MVP known for putting up explosive performances such as his 42-point outburst in Game 1, said that “this championship is what we play and train for. When we came into training camp nine months ago, we all came back with the same goal in mind: defend our title. And that’s exactly what we did.” He also admitted that Coach Malone was right in that “getting on top might be really hard, but staying on top is even harder.” When asked about a three-peat, however, Finley said that “he’s not thinking about that right now, and that he just wants to enjoy the moment.”

General manager Isiah Thomas, the architect of the team that is now defending back-to-back champions, joked: “My goal when I got here was to win 1 championship in 5 years. Now I’ve got 2. So I’m not doing too bad, right? Hope I’m on target here.”

And despite concerns about championship riots like the ones last year that killed 9 people and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damages across the city, this year’s championship celebrations were relatively peaceful, with virtually no arrests, damages, injuries, or deaths. So there’s something else to be proud of.

The Raptors’ championship parade will take place on Wednesday, starting at 12:00 PM. While parade route details have yet to be released, it can be presumed that the parade route will be the same as the one used for last year’s championship parade.

After the Raptors celebrate another championship, they will be facing serious questions with regards to their future. Tracy McGrady and Mikki Moore become free agents at the end of the season, with rumours swirling that McGrady will seek a star role on another team. The Raptors will also be facing serious team chemistry issues, with rumours of trade demands from Darrell Armstrong, Kobe Bryant, and Steve Nash that echo those of Bob Sura and Brent Barry two years ago. On the other hand, there are other rumours that the Raptors will be looking to pursue Tim Duncan in free agency, or even Grant Hill if Michael Finley demands a trade. With all of these issues surrounding the Raptors, Raptors fans will look to embrace the “greatest team in NBA history,” then watch the offseason with tense anticipation to see what the 2000-01 team looks like.

___________________________________________________________

2000 NBA Finals Results: Toronto Raptors (Eastern Conference) vs. Sacramento Kings (Western Conference):
Game 1 (@ Toronto): Toronto 138, Sacramento 123: Toronto leads 1-0
Game 2 (@ Toronto): Toronto 107, Sacramento 78: Toronto leads 2-0
Game 3 (@ Sacramento): Sacramento 117, Toronto 110: Toronto leads 2-1
Game 4 (@ Sacramento): Sacramento 144, Toronto 142 (OT): Tied 2-2
Game 5 (@ Sacramento): Toronto 132, Sacramento 86: Toronto leads 3-2
Game 6 (@ Toronto): Toronto 135, Sacramento 124: Toronto wins 4-2
Toronto Raptors defeat Sacramento Kings 4-2; 2000 NBA CHAMPIONS

Total NBA Championships: 2 (1999, 2000) (BACK-TO-BACK)
___________________________________________________________

Winning the 2000 NBA championship the way we did was a boon to our team, and had people comparing us to all-time great teams such as the 60’s Celtics, the Showtime Lakers, and Michael Jordan’s Bulls. People were wise to embrace the greatness, looking back, as cracks were starting to emerge with regards to team chemistry: with the superstardom and success of all of these young players, ego was starting to become a major factor in dealings between players, players and coaches, and coaches. When every member of your starting lineup is an All-Star and every player on your bench is being hailed as “potentially the next big thing,” ego is obviously going to be a problem. You also have the problem of coaches liking certain players a lot, for whatever reason. Also, everybody wanted All-Star money, even though we clearly couldn’t afford that. We weren’t New York or Los Angeles. Keeping our team champions without completely ruining our future, our players, or both was going to require decisions that would be absolutely hard for me to make, and that even I would have spoken out against as a player. But that’s the thing, though: sometimes, people grow out of the role you’ve assigned them to, so you have to let them use their wings and move on. Otherwise, you risk destroying the fabric of the whole organization.
- Excerpt from Isiah Thomas' book, The Fundamentals: 8 Plays for Winning the Games of Business and Life

 

[jrice9]

.

 

[marcothesportsfan]

I will be temporarily unavailable due to private matters I have to deal with.

Future posts will be as I get time.

 

[Tredecimus]

Nice TL. I was actually expecting a Carter-McGrady dynasty, but this is even more shocking.

If people hate the Warriors now, they'll definitely hate this Raptors team.

Just a question, will these guys win a ring (at least one)?

- Miller
- Ewing
- Payton
- Malone
- Iverson
- Carter

 

[andry2806]

Beatiful TL! Is that dead?

 

[marcothesportsfan]

Hey! This TL is not dead, turns out I finally got some time to post!

So, that being said, let's get this thing started again! We're going to re-start this with the 2000 NBA Draft!

2000 NBA Draft Lottery Results
1. LA Clippers
2. Orlando
3. Philadelphia
4. Milwaukee
5. Chicago (from Phoenix)
6. Boston
7. Minnesota
8. Orlando (from Golden State)
9. Portland
10. Dallas
11. Houston
12. Charlotte
13. Utah (from Miami)

2000 NBA Draft Order: Round 1

1. LA Clippers
2. Orlando
3. Philadelphia
4. Milwaukee
5. Chicago (from Phoenix)
6. Boston
7. Minnesota
8. Orlando (from Golden State)
9. Portland
10. Dallas
11. Houston
12. Charlotte
13. Utah (from Miami)
14. Phoenix
15. Dallas (from New Jersey)
16. Atlanta
17. Golden State (from Washington)
18. New York
19. Denver
20. Vancouver
21. Chicago (from San Antonio)
22. Detroit
23. LA Lakers
24. Utah
25. Cleveland
26. Indiana
27. Sacramento
28. Seattle
29. Toronto

2000 NBA Draft Results: Round 1

1. LA Clippers: Kenyon Martin, PF, Cincinnati
2. Orlando: Stromile Swift, PF, LSU
3. Philadelphia: Marcus Fizer, PF, Iowa State
4. Milwaukee: Mike Miller, SF, Florida
5. Chicago (from Phoenix): Chris Mihm, C, Texas
6. *Boston: Darius Miles, SF, East St. Louis (HS)
7. Minnesota: Joel Przybilla, C, Minnesota
8. **Orlando (from Golden State, to Atlanta): Jamal Crawford, PG, Michigan
9. Portland: DerMarr Johnson, SF, Cincinnati
10. Dallas: Jerome Moiso, C, UCLA
11. Houston: Etan Thomas, C, Syracuse
12. Charlotte: Keyon Dooling, PG, Missouri
13. Utah (from Miami): Hedo Turkoglu, SF, Turkey
14. Phoenix: Jason Collier, C, Georgia Tech
15. Dallas (from New Jersey): Courtney Alexander, PG, Fresno State
16. Atlanta: Quentin Richardson, SG, DePaul
17. Golden State (from Washington): Mateen Cleaves, PG, Michigan State
18. New York: Desmond Mason, SF, Oklahoma State
19. Denver: Jamaal Magloire, C, Kentucky
20. Vancouver: Donnell Harvey, PF, Florida
21. Chicago (from San Antonio): Speedy Claxton, PG, Hofstra
22. Detroit: Morris Peterson, SG, Michigan State
23. LA Lakers: Mark Madsen, PF, Stanford
24. Utah: DeShawn Stevenson, SG, Fresno Washington Union (HS)
25. Cleveland: Dalibor Bagaric, C, Croatia
26. Indiana: Jake Tsakalidis, C, Greece
27. Sacramento: Mamadou N’Diaye, C, Auburn
28. Seattle: Primoz Brezec, C, Slovenia
29. Toronto: Michael Redd, SG, Ohio State

* Boston traded SF Darius Miles to Houston for SG Larry Hughes.
** Orlando traded PG Jamal Crawford to Atlanta for PG Alvin Williams.

Toronto Raptors Picks:
First Round: Michael Redd (29th overall), SG, Ohio State
Second Round: Ime Udoka (58th overall), SF, Portland State
__________________________________________________________
With their first-round pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors would select Michael Redd. His scoring abilities would quickly come to remind many of a better-shooting and longer Michael Finley, but when he came into the league, he was an unknown quantity. Though he would have been a mid-1st round pick had he come out the year before, less playing time in the 1999-2000 college basketball season put his potential in serious doubt.
- From the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”

 

[marcothesportsfan]

For the first 5 years of their history, the Raptors had been a relatively stable organization: only two players who would go on to have long, successful careers after the Raptors in Doug Christie and Brent Barry, had left the team, and from 1997 onwards, the team’s composition had been pretty much the same: Darrell Armstrong, Kobe Bryant, Michael Finley, Kevin Garnett, and Theo Ratliff as the starting 5, with Steve Nash, Tracy McGrady, Jermaine O’Neal, and Ben Wallace coming off the bench. However, going into the 2000-01 NBA season, Raptors general manager Isiah Thomas sensed the emergence of Armstrong, Bryant, Finley, and Garnett into superstars, and the potential of Nash, McGrady, O’Neal, and Wallace. In an attempt to maintain team chemistry while retaining the basketball excellence and focus on player development that had come to define the Raptors, Thomas would make some shocking moves in the 2000 offseason.
- From the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”
____________________________________________________________________
Five-Year Plan #2 begins: Raptors get picks, Orlando gets McGrady, L.A. Clippers get Jones
Toronto Star
August 2, 2000

(TORONTO) – In a stunning 3-team deal announced yesterday, which involved 2 sign-and-trades, the Orlando Magic signed Raptors small forward Tracy McGrady, while the Los Angeles Clippers signed Raptors bench point guard Damon Jones. The Raptors, in return, got the Orlando Magic’s first-round draft pick for next year, and the Los Angeles Clippers’ second-round draft pick for next year, giving the Raptors 4 draft picks in 2001. In another arm of the trade, Orlando gave third-year small forward Corey Maggette up for the Clippers’ first-round draft pick in 2001.

Raptors general manager Isiah Thomas said that “he is very happy with how the trade went. You don’t often give away a guy like McGrady and it was a very hard decision, but we feel that we have gotten assets that will enable us to continue competing at a championship level for many years to come.”

McGrady, who signed with the Orlando Magic for 6 years and $80 million, issued a statement through his agent: “It was amazing to spend the first three years of my career in Toronto. Winning 2 championships with some of the greatest players in the world in my first 3 years is an experience that not every athlete is fortunate enough to have. Hopefully, I can take my championship experience to Orlando to help them bring home their first-ever NBA championship. I understand that they are in a rebuilding phase, and I am willing to stick with the process if it means I get a championship at the end.”

Many speculated McGrady made the move to get more playing time, to be close to his hometown in central Florida, and to get his own starring role away from Kobe Bryant, Michael Finley, and Kevin Garnett. At the same time, this move is far from unexpected: trade rumours around McGrady had been swirling for months, with the most ridiculous of them being a proposed trade with the Lakers for Allen Iverson, with McGrady and 1999 Finals MVP Darrell Armstrong both being gone if this trade went through.

Kevin Garnett, 2000 NBA MVP, said that he is “hurt by the move. This is a brother that I went to war with every day for 3 years, and to see him leave like this… it’s just sad.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the trade, Orlando Magic general manager John Gabriel was “extremely ecstatic with the trade. Players like Tracy McGrady only come around once every 5-10 years. Next year’s first-round pick was definitely worth the price. I am happy to have a player of McGrady’s caliber on the team, as he can bring talent and championship experience to a roster that sorely needs it.”

Gabriel better hope the trade works: the Orlando Magic’s own picks in the NBA Draft have been in the top three for the last 2 seasons, and if McGrady flames out and the Magic end up at the bottom of the standings again, the Raptors will have that pick. And even though it seems hard to remember a time when the Raptors were struggling to trade for lottery picks, especially with the Raptors winning back-to-back championships, everybody in the NBA knows exactly what the Raptors can do with a top-three pick in the NBA Draft. On the other hand, he did get a draft pick from the Los Angeles Clippers, who have been extremely lucky in the draft lottery lately (they got #1 pick the past two years in a row), so this could actually work out for the Magic.

Meanwhile, the Clippers will be hoping to build around a foundation of Steve Francis, who finished second in Rookie-of-the-Year voting last year and looks to be the answer to the Clippers’ long-standing point guard problems, Jones, Maggette, and the top NBA draft pick in Martin, and hopefully ride it to championship contention.

While the trade counts as the loss of energy, athleticism, and excitement off the bench for the Raptors, Raptors fans everywhere hope that somebody can step up and fill that role in McGrady’s place. The Raptors will need it if they hope to “three-peat” as champions in 2001.

In other news, Grant Hill has just re-signed with the Detroit Pistons for 7 years and $93 million, and Tim Duncan has just re-signed with the San Antonio Spurs under the same contract terms, shutting down any rumours of a potential McGrady-Hill-Tim Duncan "Big 3" in Orlando.
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For the 2000-01 NBA season, I was ready to roll out Armstrong, Bryant, Finley, Garnett, and Ratliff as our starting five again. But during the offseason, I just saw something in Steve Nash. He just looked hungrier… more energetic… better than Armstrong. And Armstrong had been pissed for some time at “not getting enough touches,” because he was almost unanimously recognized as a superstar point guard. So when I told Armstrong that Nash was going to be our new starting point guard, it was a huge deal. Remember: Armstrong was Finals MVP in 1999. It was at that point when Armstrong yelled two words that would become too familiar to Toronto fans in the years to come.
- Brendan Malone, from the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”
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"Trade me”: Former Finals MVP Armstrong demands, and gets, a trade after lengthy holdout
Toronto Star
August 9, 2000

(TORONTO) – Talk about the Raptors getting a “new look.” The Raptors traded Tracy McGrady last week, and just yesterday, finalized a sign-and-trade deal that sent 1999 Finals MVP and 2-time All-Star point guard Darrell Armstrong to the New Jersey Nets for Brevin Knight, a point guard who general manager Isiah Thomas says plays “very much like Armstrong.”

The trade came after Darrell Armstrong held out for the first 2 months of the offseason and threatened to hold out for training camp and the preseason over his contract, which will only pay him $3.5 million US this year. Immediately after the trade, Armstrong re-negotiated his deal to match Knight’s salary so that the trade could go through.

Another reason for Armstrong being traded was head coach Brendan Malone’s “preference for Nash,” according to Raptors insiders, and the belief that “Nash was just playing better throughout training camp.” There was also an unconfirmed rumour that Armstrong even came to blows with All-Star shooting guard Kobe Bryant during an offseason workout.

Raptors general manager Isiah Thomas again praised the trade, saying that “it allows us to get younger, bring some new energy into the team.” Thomas, who has repeatedly requested a “pure point guard” for his team, has now gotten his wish: head coach Brendan Malone can choose to start either Steve Nash, or Brevin Knight, both of whom have very similar playing styles. However, the talk around the Raptors organization seems to point to Nash starting.

Meanwhile, in New Jersey, Armstrong was hailed as “the final piece to the championship puzzle.” The Nets, who went 41-41 and were swept by the Raptors in the first round of last year’s playoffs, were looking for a superstar point guard to compete with the “best teams in the East,” and “feel they have found that in Armstrong.” Armstrong, in particular, was overjoyed at the results of the trade, saying that “it’s a great feeling to join this team. Hopefully, we can get the Meadowlands that championship!”

While Armstrong’s words do have strong belief and credibility behind them, which is well-deserved after winning 2 straight championships on the Raptors, Armstrong seems to fail to understand that the Raptors still have the trio of Bryant, Finley, and Garnett, which is probably the most dangerous “Big Three” that basketball has ever seen. Armstrong has thrust his name into next season’s predicted MVP race as a result of the trade, with one sportswriter, Skip Bayless, expecting “he’ll go off… and the center of his storm will be the Raptors.”

Meanwhile, the Raptors remain favourites to win the NBA championship, but many question whether Nash can keep up the level of play Armstrong has for the last several years. These questions will begin to be answered on October 31, when the Detroit Pistons visit the Raptors on Opening Night 2000. Speaking of Opening Night 2000, the Raptors already sent Darrell Armstrong his championship ring for the 1999-2000 season, after Armstrong announced that he will refuse to attend the championship ring ceremony, instead choosing to play his first game with the Nets against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tracy McGrady will also be missing the championship ring ceremony to play his opening night game against the Washington Wizards.

The trade of Darrell Armstrong marks the end of the Raptors’ connection to their 1995 expansion draft; Armstrong was the last player from that expansion draft to remain on the team.
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The Darrell Armstrong trade only seemed to add more fuel to the fire, and led to serious questions as to whether the Raptors could pull off the “3-peat” in the 2001 season. While they still remained favourites to win the NBA championship, questions about team chemistry that were originally whispers began to become roars, especially with the departures of Armstrong and McGrady, which in both cases, seemed to be motivated by the player “wanting his own spotlight.” There was also scrutiny of Isiah Thomas and Brendan Malone’s model on how to run a team: what other untapped superstars were trapped on the Raptors’ bench, just waiting to get out & fulfill their potential? And there were also concerns about a strengthening Eastern Conference: the Knicks signed Eddie Jones, exciting young teams in the Hawks, Pistons, Nets, and 76ers were emerging, and the Charlotte Hornets would come back with a “secret weapon” almost nobody expected.
- From the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”
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“I’m back… again”: Jordan returns to play for the Charlotte Hornets
ESPN.com
September 11, 2000

(CHARLOTTE) – The anticipation is over. Charlotte Hornets fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief. George Shinn, missing out on Vlade Divac, finishing .500 year after year, the recent Eddie Jones trade… all of that can be put to rest now. Michael Jordan is playing for them until 2003.

In a press conference, when asked why he made the decision to return, Jordan replied, “I loved this game too much to put it away. With everything that’s been happening over the last 2, 3 years, I can finally just play basketball. That’s all I ever wanted to do, be it in Chicago, in Charlotte, or anywhere else. I just wanted to play basketball.” He also said, “I am extremely excited about the Charlotte Hornets, and I think we have a championship contender here. Although we do have a veteran team, I think it’ll fire everybody up even more to win a championship because they know… ‘time is limited.’”

The six-time league MVP, who retired for a second time in 1998 after leading the Chicago Bulls to their sixth title of the decade, made it official after clearing up a licensing issue with one of his sponsors and selling his ownership stake in the Hornets. Jordan’s comeback occurs 2 years after making the statement that he was “99.9 percent” certain he would never play again; this means that he left the slightest chance that he would come back to the NBA, and that if he did, he wouldn’t go back on his word. Now, he has.

BET founder Robert Johnson, who Jordan sold the Hornets to, said in a statement, “It’s thrilling, it really is. Having a player like Michael Jordan playing for an organization you own, and having him sell the organization to you so he can do that? That’s a zero-in-a-million experience.” Johnson also commented that “our phone lines are ringing off the hook for season tickets, and our team store website has crashed due to overload. Everybody wants a piece of Jordan.”

Both Jordan and Johnson have pledged to keep the Hornets in Charlotte, which is a great thing for Hornets fans, considering previous Charlotte Hornets owner George Shinn threatened to move the team during his trial for sexual assault last December. With the extra jersey sales, wins, and TV revenue expected to flow to the franchise as a result of Jordan’s decision, it’s safe to assume that the Hornets will remain the Charlotte Hornets. And the impact is being felt all over the organization.

Hornets teammate Latrell Sprewell, who Jordan traded for, joked, “This is unbelievable. I’m speechless. I get to play with the f**king GOAT. I’m not gonna cause any more trouble, I don’t wanna ruin this!”

Head coach Doug Collins, who Jordan hired (and played for on the Bulls in the late 1980’s), said, “I’m absolutely honoured. Welcome back, Michael. We missed you.”

And not only is Michael Jordan, the player back, so is Michael Jordan, the competitor. When asked what he thought about the Raptors immediately after calling his Hornets a “championship contender,” Jordan fired back, “Anyone can be beaten 4 times out of 7. I accept the challenge.” It’s a challenge Jordan is all too ready for; the Raptors are the reigning back-to-back NBA champions, have Kobe Bryant, who many have called “the next Michael Jordan,” and even took Jordan’s Bulls to 7 games back in the 1997 playoffs, when Bryant was just a teenager, and Jordan was still considered the best player in the league, by far.

Now, with Jordan in the position of the underdog for the first time in over a decade, the entire sports world will be waiting to see if he has what it takes to beat teams like the Raptors. But Jordan has more immediate priorities: his season starts against the young Atlanta Hawks on October 31, followed by his first home game against Alonzo Mourning and the Miami Heat on November 3. Still, Jordan is back, and as he said to conclude the press conference, “he couldn’t be any happier with his decision.”
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2000-01 NBA Preview: Raptors will “win, or go down trying”
Toronto Sun
October 30, 2000

(TORONTO) – Yes, the Toronto Raptors have just won 2 straight championships and are coming off the best season in NBA history (77 wins and complete domination of the playoffs). Yes, the Raptors might just have the two best players in the game in Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant, who seem destined to lead the Raptors to several more titles before they’re done. However, going into the 2000-01 season, the question for the Raptors has become whether they can even win one more.

In what has become an “offseason of attrition,” the Raptors lost high-flying bench scorer Tracy McGrady and a former Finals MVP in Darrell Armstrong, both times because each player wanted “a star role” and “his own team.” While their reasons are justified, as the Raptors seem to be the team of Kevin, Kobe, and Michael Finley for the foreseeable future, their departures highlight serious questions about the Raptors’ team chemistry and overall makeup.

Tracy McGrady had given hints that he was going to leave the team even before free agency hit, as in the Finals, he had seemingly mentally “checked out.” And Darrell Armstrong not only threatened in training camp that it was “either him or Nash as starting point guard of the Raptors,” but also backed it up with more selfish play throughout the 2000 playoffs and finals. Steve Nash, the new starting point guard for the Raptors, is now one of the most hated people in Canada, with many Raptors insiders saying he “forced Armstrong out of Toronto” after making a similar demand to that of Armstrong’s to head coach Brendan Malone. Other bench players such as Jermaine O’Neal and Ben Wallace, while not demanding trades outright, have become more vocal in their demands for more playing time. And basketball fans everywhere know about the physical fights (plural) that have emerged in training camp; an unnamed Raptors staff member called their practice facility “a warzone.”

And while all this is going on, there are also questions about whether or not Nash can fill the role that Armstrong has filled so well, especially with limited playing time in big-game situations, a problem created by Armstrong’s presence. There are also questions as to whether point guard Brevin Knight, who the Raptors traded Armstrong for, will be able to adjust to a back-up role after 3 years starting for a playoff team in the New Jersey Nets, and be comfortable taking a backseat to the Raptors’ superstars, something Armstrong never really seemed comfortable doing.

And beyond that, it also appears that the front office has lost its once-legendary sense of focus, as John Bitove, Allan Slaight, and Isiah Thomas have spent so much of the summer trying to woo the 2008 Summer Olympics to Toronto that neither of them came to any team activities this summer, and also did not make any training camp appearances. Probably explains why McGrady and Armstrong got out as quickly and cheaply as they did.

The Raptors have avoided the pitfalls of most expansion teams by drafting young talent that has pretty much all panned out to great success, and general manager Isiah Thomas rightfully looks like a basketball genius. Now, it is on the Raptors to avoid the pitfalls of the great sports teams that came before them: arrogance, and in-fighting over money, ego, credit, and team roles that have torn previous potential dynasties apart (hint, hint, Chicago Bulls). Remember, both Bob Sura and Brent Barry left the Raptors in free agency 2 years ago over diminished roles, and have since gone on to be key pieces on championship contenders in Cleveland and Seattle, respectively. The acquisition of Darrell Armstrong will almost certainly turn the Nets into title contenders for the next few years. And nobody should forget about the Lakers and Kings in the West, or the Knicks and Pacers in the East, who will certainly be gunning for the Raptors’ throne in 2001.

With many have the Raptors penciled in as NBA champions for the next few seasons, very few are asking the right question: whether or not the Raptors will even get a “three-peat” this season with the combination of the chaos surrounding them, and the spotlight of the sports world shining brightly on said chaos. Come October 31, basketball fans everywhere will begin to watch the answer unfold.

BOTTOM LINE: Though the Raptors are beginning to have their fair share of locker-room drama, they are by far basketball’s most talented and cohesive team on the court. They’ll be able to shrug off the distractions and win their third-straight title. They won’t break 77 wins and sweep through the playoffs again, but assuming everybody stays healthy, expect another title parade down Front Street next June.

PREDICTION: 73-9, NBA Champions (again.)
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I was hearing all preseason that “we weren’t a team,” that “everybody was out for themselves on the Raptors.” Man, f**k everybody that said that. We had won 2 straight titles, we were going for our third. People forgot that first season in ’95-‘96, when we were an expansion team struggling to make it. People forgot when everybody doubted whether Isiah’s blueprint would work. People forgot that this team became, and was able to stay champions, because of all the problems we went through. We didn’t forget all of that. While losing Darrell and Tracy made us look weaker on the outside, on the inside, we actually grew stronger. We were pissed off. We wanted to prove to the world that, “you know what, fuck you guys, we can do this without you.” That was what 2001 was all about.
- Kevin Garnett, from the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”
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2000-2001 Toronto Raptors Starting Lineup:
PG Steve Nash
SG Kobe Bryant
SF Michael Finley
PF Kevin Garnett
C Theo Ratliff

2000-2001 Toronto Raptors Bench:
PG Brevin Knight
SG Fred Hoiberg
SG Michael Redd (Rookie)
SF Bruce Bowen
SF Stephen Jackson
PF Jermaine O’Neal
PF Ben Wallace
C Todd MacCulloch
C Brad Miller
C Mikki Moore

Offseason Additions:
PG Brevin Knight (Traded from New Jersey)
SG Michael Redd (Draft)
G/F Stephen Jackson (Signed from overseas)

Offseason Losses:
PG Darrell Armstrong (Traded to New Jersey)
PG Damon Jones (Traded to LA Clippers)
G/F Tracy McGrady (Traded to Orlando)

 

[DurableShift]

Nice to see this going again.

Feels about right, that level of talent just can't hold together. You're going to lose players for the reasons you outlined.

 

[alysson124038]

Ah! Great chapter, can not wait to see the season results.

 

[Colonel Zoidberg]

Oh good, another sports TL going. Those are always enjoyable.