We the Raptors: 30 Players, 30 Stories, 30 Years

by Eric Smith, Andrew Bricker

Thirty Toronto Raptors over thirty thrilling years—not the stars but the glue guys who filled the cracks, ate up minutes, and whose lunchbox mentality brought fans to their feet.

Foreword by Kyle Lowry

We the Thirty Players, Thirty Stories, Thirty Years is about the grinders, glue guys, bench heroes, and more. Alvin Williams, José Calderón, T. J. Ford, Jonas Valanciunas, Danny Green—whether role players, key cogs, or even short-term stars—all of them felt blessed to call Canada home.

Amir Johnson immediately fell in love with the diversity of the country. From special events with fans to Zombie Walks down Yonge Street, few players connected with Toronto—on and off the floor—more than Amir. Anthony Parker—known as the “Michael Jordan of EuroLeague”—at the age of thirty finally found his place in the NBA with the Raptors, a role that had eluded him as a young draftee and during his six seasons overseas. NBA vet and Toronto native Jamaal Magloire mentored younger players in the shadow of his brother’s murder in Regent Park. Bismack Biyombo, a fan favourite for his big, burly play and endless energy, who couldn’t decide which team to sign with as a free agent, until a phone call from Masai Ujiri made the decision easy. The Junkyard Dog, Jerome Williams, drove himself to Toronto in a snowstorm, becoming in the process one of the most recognizable players in franchise history. Matt Bonner, dubbed the Red Mamba by none other than Kobe Bryant, emerged as a national hero after going toe to toe in the post with Kevin Garnett. Jorge Garbajosa, a superstar in Italy and his native Spain, gambled on a second career at the age of twenty-eight, becoming the hustle and heart of a playoff-bound Raptors squad only to see his NBA dreams crumble in a career-ending on-court injury.

Every team has unheralded but dogged players but none more so than the expansion-era Raptors, a team that many NBA players and free agents often ignored—until the Raptors became the most interesting and top teams in the league.

This rich tapestry comes alive in We the Raptors, as told by Raptors radio voice Eric Smith and Andrew Bricker through thirty exclusive interviews with former and current Raptors. Every bounce, every rebound, every elbow to the face—this is a rare view of the NBA through the eyes of those who made it to the pinnacle of their profession.

336 pages, Hardcover

Published November 4, 2025

Reviews

[szreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strap in for the longest review I’ve ever written because I adored this book so much!!

The title alone.. I loved it. We the North.. We The Raptors. I get the vibe. I love it. I wish I could quote the book but it’s an ARC so I’m not allowed. * insert section from Eric’s final intro paragraph here*

I always take notes when I review books and my first note was

“A forward by Kyle Lowry and a shoutout to big Val and Jamaal Magloire?? I’m so ready”

But reading the first paragraph truly did not prepare me for how much I would LOVE this book.

It’s evident that so much thought and care went into its creation. The author Eric Smith has been covering the Raptors for 20+ years. This alone blew my mind because he’s who I’ve always referred to as the “young guy” when watching games and seeing the sportscasters (I’m so sorry Jack, Paul, and Matt). Eric did such an amazing job curating interviews for this book and his introduction was fascinating.

The book is organized by eras, and I loved the consideration that went into deciding to organize the book this way (which is discussed in the book).

The eras are

• Expansion era 1995-2000

• Vinsanity 1998-2004

• The bosh era 2003-2010 (when I started watching/ gained consciousness to know what I was watching)

• The golden era and beyond 2013-2025

Each era includes chapters for players during that era highlighting their time with the team and what they loved about Toronto.

There’s also a nice lil intro explaining the era before diving into players chapters for each section. Plus interspersed in each era is a key Raptors moment.

Reading about the pre 2000 stuff was so fascinating for me since I never knew that much about how the team was started and the atmosphere of basketball in Toronto before the Raptors (I’m sorry I can’t help what year I’m born lol). It made me realise tho that new and old fans alike would thoroughly enjoy this book.

Notable players included (for me) in the book were Tracy Murray, Antonio Davis, Matt Bonner, Jason Kapono, Jamaal Magloire, Jonas Valančiūnas, Cory Joseph, Danny Green, Norman Powell, and RJ Barrett. As a Raptors fan tho I honestly loved reading every player’s chapter.

Before I even got to reading about the players, I got emotional reading Kyle’s forward. It felt like a feel-good book. The entire time I was reading I was excited reading it and smiling. I love my city and I love my team and my country so much. I genuinely was never bored when reading. It effortlessly flowed.

The book is written in third person with first person quotes from all the players.

I loved the praise for the city EVERY player gave. I laughed at how so many thought Toronto was so far and didn’t know where it was but loved it after they came. Plus, so many calling us the cleaner safer New York, shouting out Caribana, our food scene, and how multicultural the city is. I already knew lots of players even after moving on from the city continue to come back because they loved it so much but reading it myself made me feel warm and fuzzy. Plus, the love players mention when they got traded and played on other teams. How they’d still get standing ovations when back in Toronto. Made me so happy this was recognized by players. I remember being in the stands the first time Cory Joseph was playing against us after being traded and standing to cheer for him not just cuz he was from my hometown of Pickering but because in my heart he was a Raptor. (Cheesy I know)

It was so fun to get a look into the atmosphere in the city and the league and team. Their origin and history and tidbits of behind-the-scenes info.

Without giving too much away cuz I can’t quote the ARC some of my fav things included were:

• Hearing Villanueva regrets
• Where Patterson was when he got traded to Toronto
• JV and Home Depot (surprised his Wasaga moment wasn’t mentioned)
• The entire Red Mamba chapter
• Jamal talking about being one of only 3 Canadian players

Side note- I would love to know if anyone turned down interview or inclusion cuz I’m nosy

Notable mentions throughout the book for me were Paul Jones (oakwood Collegiate icon), Jack Armstrong, Doug Smith, plus all the coaches. I was also thrilled my fav player JV, hometown fav Cory Joseph, and newest fav RJ Barrett were in it.

I also loved the pictures included at the end (some I recognize from Erics IG LOL)

This book will go down in history as a spectacular sports book.

I’ve never gotten an ARC that EVERYONE in my family has loved hearing me yap about so much. My dad will be getting this book for Christmas and so will all of his close friends. AND THAT’S HUGE because I love my dad but he reads one book a year and THIS will be the book!! My family was so thrilled that I was given this ARC. My dad and his friends and my family already have plans to discuss it together once it’s published. I’ve already gotten 5 ppl to preorder it too lol.

My family has been Raptors fans since day one, and before we had a team, they loved the Celtics and were watching other NBA games. Reading this book was such a great experience since I had a chance to relive with my parents them seeing the games at the SkyDome and hear stories of them meeting a teenage Jamaal Magloire. I could honestly write an essay on how much myself and my family loves the Raptors, our connection to the team, and the MANY memories we have together surrounding the team. So, as a fan, reading this book was a dream come true.

I already know this book will be a bestseller because so many other fans, Canadians, and Torontonians alike will feel the same way.

READ THIS BOOK!! You’ll love it, I promise.

Thank you so much Simon and Schuster and Eric Smith for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Mar books_baking_barks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for the early copy of We The Raptors!

In this time of Toronto Blue Jays madness, I have come to promote my hearts team - the Toronto Raptors. I am a basketball girlie through and through since playing rep as a kid. One of my core memories is the 2019 championship and being at the parade in downtown Toronto. That being said, my age will reflect some of my review thoughts as this book focuses on some lesser known players.

Let’s start at the beginning. It’s weird for me to say I love a forward in a book, but I’m never going to have a bad time reading about the friendship between Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. Their friendship is beautiful and when DeMar got traded it broke my heart.

I enjoyed learning about the earlier days of the Raptors (I am approximately the same age as the franchise). I did find that some of the players’ stories became repetitive, as such short chapters make it hard to get emotionally involved without prior knowledge. I think this would be a different reading experience if I knew more about the pre-Bosh era.

Personally, my heart got into the story with JYD’s story. I remember being in basketball camp as a kid and running plays named after the Junkyard Dog, Jerome Williams. It was heartwarming to read how committed he was to our team right off the bat. I also loved how Caribana was beloved by many players when they were first playing in Toronto. Everyone is very complimentary of our city and our fan base.

There were a lot of stats throughout this book. While I can appreciate the need for data to reflect how good the players were or how the team did that season, it did feel repetitive when listed multiple times as many players overlapped. The last few chapters were my favourite, mostly because I have a sweet spot in my heart for hometown boy RJ Barrett. This is a book for the fans - I would not recommend it unless you love the Raptors already, but for those of us in Jurassic Park it’s an interesting read.

[Rafael Escobar · Rating 4 out of 5]

For any basketball fan especially Raptors fan, this is a great book recognizing forgotten Raptors.

It's said in the introduction and it's definitely subjective but felt like a missed opportunity to hear from players like Jalen Rose, Morris Peterson, Leandro Barbosa, Donyell Marshall, etc (don't think I needed Tyler Hansbrough)

Also, felt like it got repetitive at times when mentioning the same playoff series again and again in different player stories.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toronto has had baseball fever this month with the Jays making the World Series finale. While that ended up in heartbreak for the city and for fans all over, there was another game 7 I remember. For I was in the stadium for that triple bounce buzzer beater shot that saw the Raptors win game 7 against the 76ers. The energy was electric and for every game during that playoff run the city would be flooded with fans. Every bar, every venue, every living room was turned into a watch zone for fans. When they finally brought home the trophy, the streets were packed (see stories). Some were screaming with joy, some were crying, some couldn’t believe it. After watching this franchise grow from inception, they finally won it all and emotions were flaring. So it is no surprise that while many players did not originally want to be traded to Toronto, especially when they were a new team or on a loosing streak, the one thing all players agree on is that the city and the fans made this team something special, a place that felt like home win or loose.

Like many in the city I grew up thrilled that Toronto finally had a team of its own and once Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady entered the scene the rest of the league noticed. But before that, there were years of expansion where the Raptors were home to Tracy Murray, Jimmy King, Doug Christie and John Thomas who would come to the city (often without desire) and lay the foundations for what came next. It became a team of underdogs, where seat warmers finally got a chance to be valued and develop personally. Vinsanity brought its own collection of players that finally started winning. With Alvin Williams, Antonio Davis, Chris Child, Jerome Williams the fan base continued to grow. When VC left the team, it lead to the rise of Chris Bosh who heralded a new era of basketball in Canada. It started to become a more multi-cultural team reflecting the city more and more. And then there was the golden era that saw the first homeboy join the team with veteran Jamaal Magloire. It was an era of reshuffling and finding the match ups that worked, courtesy of basketball mastermind Masai Ujiri.

These names will be familiar to die hard Raptors fans, but for many who only recognize All-Star players and slam dunk champions, this is a lesson in how a team is built. All the integral people and players needed to win games and make a team feel like family. In this collection, We the Raptors highlights the story of 30 players over 30 years that left their mark on this team and in many cases then went on to have successful careers elsewhere. It is an action packed recollection with exclusive interviews from former and current players, all the way to Canadian star RJ Barrett. A full circle of basketball in Toronto that is inspirational and heartbreaking, as any fans will know. A great read for fans of the sport.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for a gifted copy.

[Whatithinkaboutthisbook · Rating 4 out of 5]

We The Raptors 30 Players, 30 Stories, 30 Years by Eric Smith and Andrew Bricker

Pub date: Nov 4/25

I’ve always loved the Raptors, though I wouldn’t call myself a basketball aficionado. Still, I knew I wanted to read this book because Canada’s journey to finding its place in the NBA has been anything but easy. I’m so glad I did because it is equal parts entertaining, informative and a heartfelt tribute to both Toronto and Canada.

The book offers fascinating background on the establishment of the Raptors, including the oppressive NBA deal which severely limited them in the early years. It also shares compelling behind the scenes stories about the teams executive, coaches and players. What I especially appreciated was the authors focus on the “glue guys”, those players coming off the bench whose contributions are often overlooked. This perspective gives a fuller picture of the game, the teams development, and what true teamwork really means.

If you want to know what players think about Raptor fans, the city of Toronto, and playing in Canada, this is a must read. It made me proud to see the recognition of our multicultural country and the acknowledgment that, even though the team is in Toronto, it is beloved as a truly Canadian team.

[Mike Heenan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!

We the Raptors takes the reader through interviews with 30 different former Raptors players - from the early days right up to a few current players. Each section goes through the player's experience in a different era of the Raptors, including their experience with the city of Toronto and the fans. Although it can be repetitive at times as players cross through similar time periods, playoff series, etc., there is lots of interesting and new information for each player.

The challenge with a book like this is getting the right mix of players - you do feel that there are some obvious big Raptors players missing (Carter, Leonard, Derozan, etc.) but I felt like those stories have already been told elsewhere so getting new perspectives from a different set of players made for a good read.

Would recommend to any Raptors fan!

[Kristi Kasper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a longtime Raptors fan (We The North!), but it wasn’t until moving to Toronto that I was able to see them play in person and really cheer them on. This new book celebrates 30 years of the team with 30 stories from 30 different players that have played for the team over the years. Through the stories I learned a lot about the draft and trade processes and it also helped me fill in the gaps regarding some of my historical knowledge about the team. It also made me understand what a beloved city Toronto is from the players’ perspective. No matter how reluctant a player is to make the move to Canada, they all end up truly connecting to Toronto and cherishing their experience. This is a book for Raptors’ fans of any age. Happy 30th Season Raptors!!

Thank you Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this book.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soaking up these last warm park days before it’s officially basketball season. 🏀

This book shares 30 stories from athletes across different eras—honest, funny, and full of heart—as they reflect on their time in Toronto and what it meant when the Raptors finally won that first championship. It’s such a great reminder of how far the team has come (and how special that 2019 run really was).

As someone who became a fan back in 2008—when José Calderón was the guy—I loved learning more about those early years. I even ended up reading every story out loud to Henry. Easily a 5/5 ⭐️ for me.

[Andrea Chabot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a sports book aficionado and this is the one of the best I have read in quite some time. The 30 stories are short and easy to read. They are all unique and inspiring in their own way. This is a must-read for any Raptors fan but can be enjoyed by any sports enthusiast. The fact that it focuses on the 30 “other” Raptors that shaped the franchise (as opposed to the Mount Rushmore players like Kyle, Demar, VC and Kawai) makes for an incredibly interesting read. I highly recommend this book.

[Patrick Hanlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Profiles of many of the Raptors who may be less likely to get their due in the lore of the franchise. Great to revisit memories of the team’s history, including chapters that will inform those who have missed or forgotten early eras. Moving at times with the stories of the pasts and the contributions of these glue guys and their departures.

[Ken Koffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read! Whether you're a diehard basketball fan, or sports fan in general, this book is so interesting. Really gives insight into how these 30 Raptor players felt about playing in Toronto, and Canada in general. I highly recommend it. Eric Smith and Andrew Bricker have written one of the best sports books out there.

[James Anthony Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about 30 Raptors!

Loved all these stories. This book is well written, has all interesting accounts of these 30 players and how they came to and played for the Raptors, and it was very enjoyable to read. Outstanding job Andrew and Eric!

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review here: https://civilianreader.com/2025/07/17...

[Mel (whilemelwasreading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the ARC. All opinions are my own and given freely.

We the Raptors is broken down into eras. Telling untold stories from 30 players throughout the 30 years the Raptors franchise has existed. I really enjoyed reading about how the team came to be in the books 'Expansion' era. But it was during the 'Vinsanity' era that I personally became a Raptors fan. So I was a little disappointed we didn't hear from him here, despite this being a favorite section of the book for me. I know it would have been impossible to include everyone but there were some true Raptor greats noticeably absent for me, that I would have loved to hear from.

Being a basketball lover, even player growing up, I knew I would enjoy this and I really did. What I loved most was this overall theme of how much love there is for not just the Raptors organization, but Toronto and Canada too in this book. Being Canadian, it was like a warm hug the way they talked about the city and country. You can especially feel this in the fabulous foreword from Lowry. Would recommend to all basketball fans!