Toronto Raptors News

TORONTO (CP) _ The Toronto Raptors reached a three-year broadcast agreement with CBC on Wednesday. The network will broadcast up to 10 regular-season games during the 2007-08 season, and up to 20 regular-season games in each of the following two seasons. It will mark the Raptors' first appearance on CBC. ``This is a great time for us to get involved with the Raptors,'' CBC Sports executive director Scott Moore said in a statement. ``They have built a strong, ...

TORONTO (CP) _ Toronto Raptors coach Sam Mitchell has gone from worst to first. After being voted the worst coach in the NBA in an unofficial poll of players by Sports Illustrated last season, Mitchell was named the league's coach of the year Tuesday. He earned the Red Auerbach Trophy in a decisive vote over Utah's Jerry Sloan. Mitchell picked up 49 first-place votes for a total of 394 points ...

It's a tall order for Toronto's smallest player. Point guard T.J. Ford faces his former team right off the bat when the Raptors host the Milwaukee Bucks in their home-opener at the Air Canada Centre on Friday (TSN, 7 p.m. ET). The storyline is all the more intriguing since the game marks the return of fan favourite Charlie Villanueva, who was traded away to the Bucks for Ford in the ...

Once was quite enough for the Toronto Raptors. Chris Bosh and Fred Jones scored 16 points apiece to lead the Raptors to a 118-84 win over Maccabi Tel-Aviv in an exhibition game Thursday. The victory comes a year after Toronto lost to the Israeli powerhouse, earning the disreputable distinction as the first NBA team in 17 years to lose to a European squad. ``We just wanted to come out and play hard and win this game,'' said ...

Jorge Garbajosa scored 16 points, Fred Jones and Andrea Bargnani each had 13, and the Toronto Raptors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-81 Wednesday night to remain unbeaten in the preseason. Toronto (4-0) rallied in the third quarter to take charge and then pulled away from the Cavaliers (2-3), who played with LeBron James watching from the bench. T.J. Ford had 11 points and five assists, and Kris Humphries added 10 points for the Raptors, who again played with ...

Anthony Parker cherishes the five years he spent living and playing basketball in Israel _ the number on his jersey says as much. Parker wears 18 for the Toronto Raptors, a number that represents the Jewish symbol for life. ``They were a huge part of my basketball life, and probably my best basketball experience happened in Israel,'' Parker said after practice Tuesday at the Air Canada Centre. ``It's just a ...

Toronto Raptors coach Sam Mitchell calls P.J. Tucker ``Baby Mule'' because the rookie will happily do the grunt work. Tucker proved his worth Sunday, scoring 18 points to lead the new-look Raptors to a 119-110 pre-season win over the New Jersey Nets. Along the way, the Texas product provided toughness and energy off the bench that Toronto has sorely lacked in the past. ``This kid just battles. And he knows ...

With nine new faces on the Toronto Raptors' roster, chemistry may prove elusive in the early going this season. So, it was no surprise that longtime Spanish teammates Jose Calderon and Jorge Garbajosa took control in overtime Wednesday, as the newlook Raptors beat Boston 118-112 in an exhibition matchup, Toronto's first of the season at Air Canada Centre. ``These guys have been together for a long time. They know each other,'' Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell said ...

Out at the top of the three-point arc, Andrea Bargnani grabbed a loose ball and immediately rose to take his first shot as an NBA player. Not a shred of hesitation. The ball went in, part of the top overall draft pick's eight points and four rebounds in 13{ minutes in the Toronto Raptors' 93-88 exhibition victory over the Washington Wizards on Monday night. The seven-foot, 250-pound Italian _ the ...

When Raptors rookie Jorge Garbajosa smoothly knocked down a 24-foot jump shot, Toronto general manager Bryan Colangelo leaned over and gave his assistant GM Maurizio Gherardini a hearty congratulatory slap on the back. Garbajosa was one of the highlights of Toronto's intrasquad game Saturday, as the Raptors unveiled their new look to a sold-out crowd of 4,000 fans at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Centre. ``After five days of practice, I'm happy where we are,'' said Raptors coach Sam ...

Jay Triano has worked with three different Toronto Raptors head coaches, three general managers and a revolving door of players. Through all the changes the NBA team has seen during his four seasons in Toronto, the Canadian coach has remained a constant. The Raptors head into a new season with a new roster after one of the most dramatic off-season makeovers Triano has seen yet. And, he believes, it may ...

After his first full day of NBA practice, Andrea Bargnani quickly went in search of his bed. But apart from being dog-tired, the rookie Raptor and No. 1 draft pick is adapting well to life in the NBA. And the Raptors staff members who know him best say his ability to adjust to new situations and his cool demeanour under pressure were key traits that drew them to the young ...

Bryan Colangelo knew it would take nothing less than a wrecking ball to turn around the Toronto Raptors and inject a little hope back into the sagging NBA club when he took over as the team's GM late last season. With nine new faces, new jerseys, a brand new locker-room and a discernible new team-first attitude as the Raptors opened training camp Tuesday, it was obvious Colangelo had left behind ...