2008 Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors had a pretty good 2007-08 season, ending up in 2nd place in the challenging Atlantic Division, and making it to the playoffs (their first trip in 5 years) before they were knocked out 3 games to 2 by the Orlando Magic. Though a trip to the playoffs is something to be proud of, the team had been expected to make it through the first round, and some blamed the loss on the point guard controversy between injured, incumbent starter T.J. Ford and emerging star José Calderón. That problem has been solved for the 2008-09 season, with the blockbuster trade of Ford, Rasho Nesterovič, Maceo Baston and Roy Hibbert for six-time All-Star Jermaine O’Neal. The Raptors weren’t a good rebounding team last season, and with O’Neal’s double-digit rebound average, he’s expected to take some of the pressure off of Chris Bosh, helping them both to play at the top of their game, and hopefully reducing the physical wear and tear their positions take. The Raptors are a team with a lot of talent, and if everyone can stay healthy and focused, they have a good shot at being real contenders in the Eastern Conference this season. Get your Air Canada Centre tickets today and see how the newly retooled Toronto Raptors fare in the 2008-09 season!

The Toronto Raptors are one of the newest teams in the National Basketball Association. They first joined the league in 1995 under club president John I. Botive. Toronto, however, did have basketball for a brief period before the Raptors joined the league. In fact, Toronto had hosted the NBA's first game on November 1, 1946, when the Knicks beat the Toronto Huskies, 68-66. The Toronto franchise folded at the end of the 1946-47 season, however, and the NBA wouldn't return to Canada for nearly 50 years. The Raptors were placed in the NBA's Eastern Conference's Central Division playing against such rivals as the Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, and Chicago Bulls.

The Raptors play their home basketball games in the Air Canada Centre. The Air Canada Centre is located in the heart of downtown, nestled between Union Station and the Gardiner Expressway. You can always count on a complete entertainment experience when you attend a Raptors game at Air Canada Centre. From before the opening tip to after the final horn, the action never stops with music, dancing, acclaimed halftime performances and, of course, The Raptor. The Raptor is the most recognizable mascot in all of Canada. It is known for its high flying basketball theatrics.

The Raptors are not the only major sports team located in Toronto, Ontario. The city is also home to Major League Baseball's Blue Jays of the American League. The Blue Jays play their home games at Rogers Centre (formerly named Skydome), the first retractable roof stadium in North America. The team won back to back world championships in the early 1990s. Hockey is, of course, the city's first love. The Maple Leafs of the NHL share the Air Canada Centre with the Raptors. The Leafs are so popular that they are the only team in North America with their own TV station, Leafs TV. The city is also home to one of the most successful Canadian Football League teams, the Toronto Argonauts, who share Rogers Centre with the Blue Jays.