Toronto Raptors—Early 2000s
Got their name from a movie. Then thought…”Hey, why not have it dribbling a basketball….in purple? With stripes. (Actually, the raptor on the jersey is wearing a better uniform.)
- And A Player To Be Named Later
Former Clemson standout Will Solomon has joined the NBA’s Toronto Raptors.
The team’s Web site detailed the signing. The school says Solomon had averaged nearly 18 points a game the past two seasons playing in Istanbul, Turkey. Solomon has also played in Greece and Israel since leaving Clemson after his junior season of 2000-2001.
Solomon was a first-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection after leading the league in scoring at 20.9 points a game during his sophomore season of 1999-2000. He was last Tiger to make the first team.
Solomon was a second-round draft choice of the Memphis Grizzlies. He averaged just more than five points a game during his lone NBA season.
Jose Calderon, G, Toronto: T.J. Ford, eat your heart out. Calderon might as well send Ford a thank you note for departing NBA Canada and leaving the starting point guard duties to the 27-year-old Spaniard. With more playing time and the addition of Jermaine O’Neal and the already dangerous Chris Bosh on the roster, Calderon will not only improve upon the 11.2 points he scored per game last year, but could raise his assist average from 8.3 into double digits. Entering just his fourth season in the league, it looks like the Red Sea has come to the province of Ontario and opened wide for Calderon to lead his Raptors like a star.
Option Number Four:
Mavs send SG/SF Josh Howard and cash to Toronto for SF/PF Jamario Moon, PF/C Andrea Bargnai, and SG/SF Anthony Parker.
Mavs get a quick reacting cap relief as all three incoming players only have one year left on their contracts. Dallas also receives help in the frontcourt with Bargnai and Jamario Moon, and solid perimeter defender in Parker.
The Raptors have a formation of Josh Howard, Chris Bosh, Jermaine O’Neal, and Jose Calderon for the ’08-’09 season, a squad that should take the them far into the playoffs. Also by acquiring Howard, Jermaine O’Neal may be tempted to resign with the Raptors for less money, at the risk of winning a championship.
Jawai signed a two-year deal with the Raptors last month after he was traded by Indiana.
And while he is excited at the opportunities ahead, he knows there is plenty of work ahead if he is to make his mark in the toughest professional league in the world.
“I’ve got to start over again. In the NBA it’s a totally different league,” he said.
“It’s going to be a great experience for me.
“It’s going to make me or see where I’m at but I’m looking forward to it.”
It may be a new journey but there’s no way Jawai will forget where he began.
“I’m representing Bamaga, Australia, Cairns, the Cairns Taipans,” he said.
“I’m not going to say it’s the same, it’s a bit more of a step from where it was but I’m still the same, I’m not going to change.
“Cairns and Bamaga has been a massive support for me and going overseas and trying to make my people proud back here, people in Cairns and Taipans supporters, that’s something I want to do.
“I’ve got to make them proud by sticking it out and always coming back to Cairns and Bamaga and giving back to the community for the younger kids and people that look up to you.”
Related posts:
SG/SF Josh Howard and cash to Toronto for SF/PF Jamario Moon, PF/C Andrea Bargnai, and SG/SF Anthony Parker.
…talk about a short bench.
Spudzs last blog post..The Return | Joseph Conrad
The NBA Champs say bench doesn’t mean all that much. I say better cross your fingers.
I always thought it’d be cool if the Raptor on the retro jersey was wearing the same jersey, giving that whole “camera pointed at the monitor that’s displaying what the camera’s filming” look.
e,
We’d have to go into the luxury tax to sign ANYBODY to make up the minimum roster requirements. It also leaves a lot of injury risk.
GWG,
Agreed. Have you ever seen that great music vid by The Chemical Brothers? Good stuff.
Spudzs last blog post..The Return | Joseph Conrad
Hey, I’m not saying that I support trading for Josh Howard, but if Boston is willing to cross their fingers with this bench, I’d see no reason to panic over ours.
C: Glen Davis, Patrick O’Bryant, Semih Erden
PF: P.J Brown, Brian Scalabrine
SF: Leon Powe, Bill Walker
SG: Tony Allen, J.R. Giddens, Eddie House
PG: Gabe Pruitt, Sam Cassell
I can get over the fact that our team was named after a movie. But why the hell did we use purple?
Wait..what?? You are comparing that bench with ours?? That is delusional. Davis, House and Cassell could probably go 3 on 8 against us and still win.
Purple was chosen due to its high marketing value to kids. The belief was to get them young with a cuddly looking mascot and logo, add in some colour and the 8-12year olds would grow up to be ball fans.
Better story than the Blue Jays choosing their name because of the backing of Labatt’s.
Scotts last blog post..Linkage – August 5
What do Blue Jays have to do with Labatt’s?
Labatt’s Blue Jays.
Think of the promotional opportunities.
Spudzs last blog post..The Return | Joseph Conrad
Why not “Ice”? Labatt Ice. Now that’s what I call promotional opportunities.
Oh you young kids…
In case you think I made it up:
The franchise was originally owned by Labatt Breweries, with Imperial Trust and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce as minority owners. The name “Blue Jays” came about when the team held a “name the team” contest. “Blue Jays” was one of the choices and was chosen by majority owners Labatt Breweries because “Labatt’s Blue” was (and still is) its main brand of beer. Labatt Breweries hoped that the team name would be shortened to “Blues” in popular parlance, thus achieving crossover free advertising.[citation needed] Its hopes were dashed when the fans of Toronto almost immediately started referring to the team as the “Jays.” It was very likely that the new team would have worn blue in any case; blue has been Toronto’s traditional sporting colour since the Toronto Argonauts adopted blue as its primary colour in 1873.
http://wapedia.mobi/en/Toronto_Blue_Jays
Didn’t think you made it up. Did they seriously think fans would call them the Blues? As if David Ortiz plays for the Red’s? And Chicago’s baseball and hockey teams are called the Whites and Blacks respectively?
Let’s go Maples! YEA!
Morons.
Well, White Sox are really White Stockings.
Knicks…Knickerbockers…
etc.