Jorge Garbajosa of Spain and Andrea Bargnani of Italy. The two Europeans are among the few of their fellow Europoeans who made the Raptors a very exciting team to watch and improve their chances for that ultimate prize in Basketball.
From Georgia Tech, Chris Bosh, power forward, centre and the Leader of the Team. We call him CB4, a hard working, scrapping and a very talented athlete. As compared to the much ballyhooed Vince Who???Last night after beating the Charlotte Bobcats, the Raptors clinched the playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and lessened the Magic number to Three for the Atlantic Division Title.
In a city thirsting for Champions since the Major League Blue Jays won a back to back World Series Championships in early 90s and the Hockey Team, the Toronto Maple Leafs last won the Stanley Cup in 1967, this city and the surrounding communities and the whole country are jumping into the bandwagon along with the Long-Suffering fans of the Raptors for welcoming the new Sport heroes, the Toronto Raptors (Dino's).
The team was in the Playoffs five seasons ago, under the leadership of much anticipated, "Michael Jordan" of the future in Vince Carter, the Athletic, Acrobatic master of Dunks, but after getting into the second round and got beat by the NJ Nets on the final 7th game, they started the downward spiral and was not in the playoff since. And Vince faded away in NJ with his acting hurt very bad and back in the game a few minutes later. To me he’s a wasted Michael, but heck he is already a very wealthy man. He once said that he not only aspires to be like Jordan, but better.
With the new make up of the Young Team, (only Morris Peterson, been to the playoff with the team) under the Leadership of Chris Bosh (CB4) all of 23 years old, and a collection of talented European players in Spaniards Jose Calderon, Jorge Garbajosa and this last year Number One draft pick Andrea Bargnani of Spain (Jorge Garbajosa is out for the season of injuries and Bargnani is out recovering from emergency appendectomy), Big man from Slovenia, Rasho Nestorivic, a veteran NBA centre and the speediest of the Point Guard, T.J. Ford, (have you had a Ford lately?), the goal of Managements and the Coaching Staff is not just to qualify for playoff but win the division, the conference and onward the NBA Championship.
But before getting there, there is the Shaq and the Miami Heats, the defending Champions to deal with and the Detroit Pistons, who’s been there, done that and would want no other less than going back there. So it will be a very exciting Post Season basketball and being a Raptors fan, we believe we will win this Year Championship, Shaq and all.
To see the 17 beautiful "Raptors Dance Pak visit this link.
http://www.nba.com/raptors/features/dancepak0607b.html
For the Team Official site and more of the Cheering Squads go to:
http://www.nba.com/raptors/
To head coach Sam Mitchell, his staff and all the members of the Team, including the "dance pak", let's do it....
