Where is the demar appreciation day???????????????

[G__Deane]

Vinces closest comparable imo is Carmelo and the Nuggets. Although Vince really did put basketball on the map here in ways that are hard to compare with really any other situations. He did for Canada basketball what Wayne Gretzky did for American hockey.

That's a decent comparison but not the way you're thinking.
Wayne expanded interest in the US into some truly horrible markets that found limited success other than lining the pockets of existing owners. He helped give us the Mighty Ducks, the FL Panthers and Arizona Coyotes that the league still has to run.

Vince "put Canada on the map" to such a great extent that the only other Canadian team folded and we might never see another Canadian based team...

[Kagemusha]

Counter point:
I don't want the first Raptor jersey ever retired to be one of the most talented players never to win a chip. We're now better than that.
It should be a winner.

Miami retired MJ's number.
It'a always subjective imo.

Going by your logic, if Luka or Jokic retire without having won a ring, they don't deserve that honor?

Nash and Barkley's jerseys were retired in Phoenix too

[G__Deane]

My take on this….if any of the players I mentioned were former Lakers or Celtics, the standard to retire their respective jersey should definitely be higher based on history and past team glory. Arguably Kyle and Kawhi with their respective impact to the Championship run, they can be considered in getting that post career recognition if they have done it as a Laker or Celtic.

Unfortunately, this franchise have a short history of success and the standard should be lower.

No, it's exactly the opposite!

A young or poorly run franchise with limited success should never rush to retire numbers to create some weird fake feeling of success or history.

That's how you end up with Glen Wesley's No. 2 retired in Carolina or Jeremy Roenick's .... in Phoenix for god's sake.
Kawhi's would be like retiring Ray Bourque's number 77 in Denver....which they did.

Kawhi to the Wall of Excellence too. Even he wouldn't understand his number being retired here imo. They probably have to revive the Kawhi Can Dine promo to get him to show up for the ceremony.

[Kagemusha]

No, it's exactly the opposite!

A young or poorly run franchise with limited success should never rush to retire numbers to create some weird fake feeling of success or history.

That's how you end up with Glen Wesley's No. 2 retired in Carolina or Jeremy Roenick's .... in Phoenix for god's sake.
Kawhi's would be like retiring Ray Bourque's number 77 in Denver....which they did.

Kawhi to the Wall of Excellence too. Even he wouldn't understand his number being retired here imo. They probably have to revive the Kawhi Can Dine promo to get him to show up for the ceremony.

< insert Kawhi laugh here >

[G__Deane]

George didn't sit out any games or looked fat coming into training camp / faked an injury, etc. He asked his team quietly to be traded, and they worked out a deal.

If management is truly awful, a player should have the right to ask out to get away from the toxic environment. But if it's done politely, behind closed doors so that management can field the best offers then it's all cool in my opinion.

I understand your point but loud or quietly, he asked out of a valid contract that he was thrilled to sign only a year earlier and after colluding with Kawhi and Ballmer. Clearly it wasn't a toxic situation since the quote I provided from him clearly shows he would have been happy to stay there. It was just a better situation in the sunshine with another star player to hang with.

[The Great One]

No, it's exactly the opposite!

A young or poorly run franchise with limited success should never rush to retire numbers to create some weird fake feeling of success or history.

That's how you end up with Glen Wesley's No. 2 retired in Carolina or Jeremy Roenick's .... in Phoenix for god's sake.
Kawhi's would be like retiring Ray Bourque's number 77 in Denver....which they did.

Kawhi to the Wall of Excellence too. Even he wouldn't understand his number being retired here imo. They probably have to revive the Kawhi Can Dine promo to get him to show up for the ceremony.

The Spurs are one of the model franchise in the NBA. They retired Avery Johnson, Sean Elliott and Bruce Bowen's numbers.

[The Claw Reborn]

No, it's exactly the opposite!

A young or poorly run franchise with limited success should never rush to retire numbers to create some weird fake feeling of success or history.

That's how you end up with Glen Wesley's No. 2 retired in Carolina or Jeremy Roenick's .... in Phoenix for god's sake.
Kawhi's would be like retiring Ray Bourque's number 77 in Denver....which they did.

Kawhi to the Wall of Excellence too. Even he wouldn't understand his number being retired here imo. They probably have to revive the Kawhi Can Dine promo to get him to show up for the ceremony.

We have to agree to disagree on this one…

[G__Deane]

Lowry is Halladay? how many playoff series has Halladay won as a Blue Jay? how many championships?

Lowry is the Alomar of the Raptors..

OK I'll accept that but also c'mon, lowry won ONE lol

[A.I]

No, it's exactly the opposite!

A young or poorly run franchise with limited success should never rush to retire numbers to create some weird fake feeling of success or history.

That's how you end up with Glen Wesley's No. 2 retired in Carolina or Jeremy Roenick's .... in Phoenix for god's sake.
Kawhi's would be like retiring Ray Bourque's number 77 in Denver....which they did.

Kawhi to the Wall of Excellence too. Even he wouldn't understand his number being retired here imo. They probably have to revive the Kawhi Can Dine promo to get him to show up for the ceremony.

You mean you're not a fan of the Clippers having banners of their starting lineup in the rafters?

[G__Deane]

Miami retired MJ's number.
It'a always subjective imo.

Going by your logic, if Luka or Jokic retire without having won a ring, they don't deserve that honor?

Nash and Barkley's jerseys were retired in Phoenix too

You made my point: poor low end markets retiring a player's number so fans can remember a superstar once played there.
Chicago didn't retire Orr's number .....

Why should Jordan's number be retired in Miami?
Maybe the Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox minor league team) should do it too

[G__Deane]

The Spurs are one of the model franchise in the NBA. They retired Avery Johnson, Sean Elliott and Bruce Bowen's numbers.

So even model franchise's can make mistakes, got it :0)

[G__Deane]

We have to agree to disagree on this one…

That's OK, disagreeing sometimes with respect keeps the site interesting. Cheers.

[Kagemusha]

You made my point: poor low end markets retiring a player's number so fans can remember a superstar once played there.
Chicago didn't retire Orr's number .....

Why should Jordan's number be retired in Miami?
Maybe the Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox minor league team) should do it too

Miami is a poor low end market?
Even Phoenix is well run.

[G__Deane]

Miami is a poor low end market?
Even Phoenix is well run.

You need to use Google lol: Joran never even played there and they retired his number!

[KeonClark]

You need to use Google lol: Joran never even played there and they retired his number!

Jordan in Miami aside, I just think it's a weird stance to take, being a hard ass about retiring demars number. We've been here 26 years and have NOBODY in the rafters yet, I think it's OK to have 2 numbers.

Sometimes it's just good business to do right by your guys. Think of how many people would be pissed if demar didn't get it, all because we want to stand on principle of some arbitrary bar to set that no other team seems interested in following.

Jersey retirements aren't the hall of fame. They're a show of appreciation for a special connection that was had.