Game #40 Raptors @ Spurs

[KeonClark]

California has 4 teams, since you have to acknowledge the Kangz are finally an NBA team, so that should split some Cali votes. #WeTheNorth should be at least comparable to OKC's fanbase, who have voted up a guy like Steven Adams way up there in 6th place among forwards. Small fanbase, but they're hardcore and probably voting like 10 times a day from multiple accounts.

I don't think its any coincidence that #WeTheNorth peaked when the Leafs sucked...OKC that's the only pro game in town

[golden]

Two things. First, it's early. Raptors have always saved a lot of the marketing firepower for late in the game. Second, Raptors are not a Canadian team. They are a Toronto team. Every single one of my basketball-fan friends in Calgary cheers for other teams: the Blazers, Jazz, Celtics or Lakers. I am the only Raps fan. Most of them never even watched the Raps until the last couple of years because they considered Toronto completely irrelevant.

I've turned a whole lot of my friends and family who don't live in Toronto, into Raptors fans. You got some work to do, bro.

Celtics & Lakers bandwagonners, I understand. But how TF does somebody from Calgary cheer for the Blazers and the Jazz?

[KeonClark]

Im originally from a small south ab town of like 2000 ppl ive managed to make a few of my friends casual fans by drinking beer and watching playoff games but see no other hats in my town but some of my buddy's will ask me how the raps are looking this year so its minor progress

You described my friends as well. The close friends of mine will casually drop "How bout those Raps" (they're legitimately asking, how about those Raps) or "Is kawhi gonna stay?" Progress indeed!

One of my friends even said recently "That Danny Green dude is good"

[G__Deane]

Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry – who had injections in his troublesome back on Dec. 29th – went through shootaround with the team and has had his status upgraded from “doubtful” to questionable.

[KeonClark]

I've turned a whole lot of my friends and family who don't live in Toronto, into Raptors fans. You got some work to do, bro.

Celtics & Lakers bandwagonners, I understand. But how TF does somebody from Calgary cheer for the Blazers and the Jazz?

He's probably talking about baby boomers. Jazz are safe, you don't need to know how to floss or Dougie, and can wear your New Balance

[golden]

I don't think its any coincidence that #WeTheNorth peaked when the Leafs sucked...OKC that's the only pro game in town

Yeah, and that peak resulted in like 10X less viewership than the 'Scott Tournament of Hearts'. We are, sadly.... a very small tribe.

[G__Deane]

It’s important to note that fan vote only accounts for 50 per cent of final total vote for the NBA’s 10 all-star starters, while the other fifty per cent is comprised of a media and player vote. The format for the all-star game is the same as last year according to the NBA’s press release:

The two team captains will draft rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves in each conference, making their picks regardless of conference affiliation. The captains will be the All-Star starter from each conference who receives the most fan votes in his conference.

The all-star draft will reportedly be televised this year.

[KeonClark]

Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry – who had injections in his troublesome back on Dec. 29th – went through shootaround with the team and has had his status upgraded from “doubtful” to questionable.

It's a MODERN MEDICAL MIRACLE!!!

[bertarapsfan]

Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry – who had injections in his troublesome back on Dec. 29th – went through shootaround with the team and has had his status upgraded from “doubtful” to questionable.

God i hope he doesnt play. Hopefull just mind games for the spurs. But it seems kyle has been able to decide hes playing regardless of who the coach has been and what the med staff is saying. Plzzz nurse hold him out we dont even need him for this one

[Scraptor]

5 of us have found their way here!

(Note: I often see someone wearing a Raptors hat or shirt and will try and strike up a conversation with them. Have any of you done that? It doesn't make it very far past "Derozan...something". Most people don't know who we played last night or who won.

If I'm wearing a Raps hat I get people talking to me about the team fairly regularly. A waitress, a bank manager, a girl at a mall. Few of them are hardcore but I mean you can't really blame them when we're halfway across the country. In my experience way more people are Canadian sports fans rather than NBA fans. I don't know a single Celtics or Lakers fan, and the only Warriors fans I know are little bandwagon kids.

[KeonClark]

Yeah, and that peak resulted in like 10X less viewership than the 'Scott Tournament of Hearts'. We are, sadly.... a very small tribe.

Yeah but we might as well not deny it. I'm proud of being fan of something niche in my area.

And we're a hardcore tribe. I liken it to the hockey fans in Nashville...we may be speckled nationwide, but you still huge representation at Portland games or games near Winnipeg etc because the fans we do have are loud and proud!

[bertarapsfan]

Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry – who had injections in his troublesome back on Dec. 29th – went through shootaround with the team and has had his status upgraded from “doubtful” to questionable.

You described my friends as well. The close friends of mine will casually drop "How bout those Raps" (they're legitimately asking, how about those Raps) or "Is kawhi gonna stay?" Progress indeed!

One of my friends even said recently "That Danny Green dude is good"

One of my friends was asking me in the summer where kawhi was gonna end up. I told him raptors just cause it was my dream. He thought no way in hellwith what he was hearing mainstream sports pundits say. Safe to say he thinks im some kind of nba savant now

[KeonClark]

One of my friends was asking me in the summer where kawhi was gonna end up. I told him raptors just cause it was my dream. He thought no way in hellwith what he was hearing mainstream sports pundits say. Safe to say he thinks im some kind of nba savant now

Heres a good question for all of you that applies to today's thread (you're welcome joey):

Do you remember where you were exactly when the trade broke to you?

I myself was driving to work listening to AM sports radio quietly in the background and the update on the :20s came on. I heard something about 'Kawhi leonard' and 'raptors' ...I turned it way up: "yes, the Kawhi Leonard saga is over and hes landed north of the border(!!!) Kawhi Leonard and Danny green(!) Have been traded to the Toronto Raptors for demar DeRozan.....and (??)...jakob poeltl....(me waiting for more players to be named)...."

I screamed out loud "masai!!!!" And couldn't wait to get in to work to waste my day discussing it

[bertarapsfan]

Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry – who had injections in his troublesome back on Dec. 29th – went through shootaround with the team and has had his status upgraded from “doubtful” to questionable.

Heres a good question for all of you that applies to today's thread (you're welcome joey):

Do you remember where you were exactly when the trade broke to you?

I myself was driving to work listening to AM sports radio quietly in the background and the update on the :20s came on. I heard something about 'Kawhi leonard' and 'raptors' ...I turned it way up: "yes, the Kawhi Leonard saga is over and hes landed north of the border(!!!) Kawhi Leonard and Danny green(!) Have been traded to the Toronto Raptors for demar DeRozan.....and (??)...jakob poeltl....(me waiting for more players to be named)...."

I screamed out loud "masai!!!!" And couldn't wait to get in to work to waste my day discussing it

I had just woke up getting reay to drive to kimberley for a vacation with the gf. I turned on the tv to watch something with breaky saw the breaking news on bottom of SN ticker. I was yelling at my gf we got kawhi we got kawhi demar and purtle gone. I had to search articles and tweets up for like half a hour to make sure it was real before we left for our trip. I then kept switching to espn radio on the drive to see if they werr talking about it

[GOLDBLUM]

5 of us have found their way here!

(Note: I often see someone wearing a Raptors hat or shirt and will try and strike up a conversation with them. Have any of you done that? It doesn't make it very far past "Derozan...something". Most people don't know who we played last night or who won.

I was born and raised in Calgary too, and now reside in Toronto. For me, it was really Vince that got me in, back in 98. Been hooked deep ever since. Before then I was a general NBA fan. Loved it all.

Funny anecdote re seeing somebody in a Raps hat from when I was living in NYC briefly two summers ago in Harlem. Was on the subway back to my place on a pretty empty train late at night and this HUGE brother, 3x my size, with a purple Raps hat was sitting opposite me -- he was basically a dead-ringer for Deebo (from FRIDAY, not Demar.) I weighed it for a few moments and then was like "You a Raps fan??" --- he looked at me totally fuckin deadpan. "WHAT??" ... no idea what I'm talking about. --- "Your hat. You a Raps fan?" .... "NAH. I JUST LIKE THE HAT."

My scrawny Calgarian ass sat in great uncomfortable silence the rest of the way home. Jokes.