Press Release

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 After experiencing discomfort during the Raptors’ return to play, it was determined Patrick McCaw should depart the NBA Campus in Orlando to seek treatment for a reoccurrence of a benign mass on the back of his left knee. 

He will visit Dr. Riley Williams at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York to determine a course of action. McCaw saw Williams for the same condition in November. A timetable for McCaw’s return has not been established, and an update on his status will be provided when appropriate. 

Under NBA rules, the Raptors are not entitled to replace McCaw on the NBA Campus with another player. The roster stands at 16 players. 

McCaw appeared in 37 games for the Raptors this season, averaging 4.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 24.5 minutes. 

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Patrick McCaw Injury Update

 As part of efforts to ensure an ongoing commitment to meaningful social change in our organization and our community, John Wiggins has been named Vice-President, Organizational Culture and Inclusion for the Toronto Raptors.

“This position has the opportunity to directly impact change. That’s what excited me so much about the role – the chance to impact change directly in my organization, my community and my country,” said Wiggins. “As an organization, we’re uniquely placed to do that. We are the Raptors, and we are MLSE.

“For me, change is actionable. I don’t want to just say things. They must be doable. I have a position of power, and I want to do powerful things.”

Wiggins will lead a group drawn from all parts of the organization to address social injustice, inclusion, equity and political reform. He will consider both internal matters – such as how we build a team culture that addresses social injustice, inclusion, equity, and political reform – and will lead our external outreach.

“We want to effect change on a global scale, and that has to begin at home,” said Raptors President Masai Ujiri. “John knows this community and he knows the people who live in this community. He understands how to get things done and how to build consensus.

“And importantly, in this role John sits as a member of our team leadership committee. He is part of the key decisions that are being made every day and will address those decisions from a viewpoint of not just how they affect our team, but how they will affect our organization and our community.”

Wiggins joins the Raptors from Raptors 905, where he helped launch Canada’s first G League franchise. He most recently held the title of vice-president and oversaw all day-to-day and business operations for the club. During his tenure, Raptors 905 won their first G League championship in 2017.

Prior to the G League, Wiggins helped launch the inaugural teams of the National Basketball League of Canada. He has also worked in leadership positions at the Ford Motor Company and founded and coached a successful AAU team in Melbourne, Florida.

Wiggins is a graduate of the University of Windsor, grew up in Mississauga and lives in the GTA with his family. In 2019, Wiggins launched Focused Dreams Forward Foundation, a charitable organization aimed at supporting youth in the Caribbean with academics and athletics.

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Wiggins Named Vice-President, Organizational Culture & Inclusion

A roadmap for our return to NBA basketball is welcome news for our team, our fans, and our community. As we plan to safely and effectively resume the game we love, we do so as an organization that is unwavering in our commitment to carrying through on the conversations we’ve had in the past week about racism, inequality, and justice. We recognize that sports has the ability to inspire, to unify, and to effect change. Those are our goals, both on and off the court.

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A Statement From The Toronto Raptors

NEW YORK, Jan. 14, 2020 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced the NBA Team Sales &amp; Marketing Awards at the league’s annual NBA Sales &amp; Marketing Meeting in Miami.  All 30 teams were invited to submit a nomination in each category for awards recognizing leaders and innovators across key areas, with a committee of league and team executives choosing the winners. 

The 2019 NBA Champion Toronto Raptors received the league’s first-ever NBA Team of the Year Award.  The Raptors were recognized for their achievements across team business, including Ticketing, Partnerships, Marketing, Digital Media, Business Analytics and Innovation.

The Dallas Mavericks earned the NBA Inclusion Leadership Award, while the Milwaukee Bucks and the Sacramento Kings teamed up to receive the NBA Inclusion Innovation Award.  The Kings, who earned the NBA Inclusion Innovation Award last year, also picked up the NBA Team Innovation Award this year. 

In addition, Erin Dlouhy, Senior Director of Guest and Culinary Experience for Pacers Sports &amp; Entertainment, received the Pete Winemiller Guest Experience Innovation Award.  The NBA Values of the Game Award was presented to Edward Rivero, Basketball Information Specialist for the Detroit Pistons.

The NBA also recognized organizations for team business performance in 12 categories across Ticket Sales and Member Retention, Partnerships, Fan Experience and Digital Innovation.  Twenty-two teams received awards for team business performance.  The Raptors earned the most awards with six, followed by the LA Clippers with five. The Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat received four each.

“This year’s winners have not only achieved outstanding excellence but have raised the NBA’s standards as the league strengthens its pursuit of innovation, inclusion and leadership,” said Amy Brooks, NBA President, Team Marketing &amp; Business Operations and Chief Innovation Officer.  “Our teams continue to place their fans at the forefront of their strategies, and in doing so, have played an instrumental role in growing our game.”

The Raptors received the inaugural NBA Team of the Year Award for their strong business performance and innovative marketing programs.  The team was near the top of the league for ticket member renewals, total tickets sold and full season tickets sold.  Toronto was also recognized for its innovative approach to partnerships resulting in it being presented with the NBA’s Activation of the Year Award last July, and its creative marketing strategy, including its efforts to drive community conversations around diversity and inclusion through initiatives like the “GroundbreakHERS,” a professional development network supporting females in sports, and “Powered by Female Fans,” a celebration of the team’s female fan base. The Raptors leveraged their unique association with OVO through the third annual ‘Welcome Toronto’ campaign to make an impact in the community. In addition, through Maple Leaf Sports &amp; Entertainment’s Digital Labs, the team offered fans a highly-engaging mobile experience resulting in growth for the team’s mobile apps and social channels. The Raptors also launched the “Future of Sport Lab” initiative for aspiring business startups in the sports space.

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Toronto Raptors Receive First-Ever NBA Team of the Year Award

The National Basketball Association announced Monday that Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for games played in October and November. This marks the second time Nurse has earned the honour after he won for games played in October and November in 2018.

Nurse coached the reigning NBA champions to a 14-4 record (second in the east) to start the season while facing several roster challenges along the way. The Raptors had eight different players miss games due to injury, including Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka, yet finished the month on a six-game winning streak and a perfect 8-0 record at Scotiabank Arena. The team ranked first defensively, holding opponents to an NBA-best .408 field goal shooting percentage and fourth in points allowed (103.8). Offensively, Toronto ranked first among east teams averaging 14.3 three- pointers made and a .395 three-point shooting percentage.

Highlighting the month was a key 101-96 victory Nov. 25 vs. Philadelphia in a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series. The Raptors held the Sixers’ all-star duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to a combined 10 points on 4-of-19 shooting from the field. Toronto has so far faced 12 all-stars from last season and held eight players under 15 points.

Toronto followed up the next game by tying a franchise-record with 21 three-pointers made Nov. 27 vs. New York. It was the Raptors’ 33rd consecutive home victory against Atlantic Division opponents, setting a new NBA record for home wins against division opponents.

A native of Carroll, Iowa, Nurse became the first coach to win both an NBA and NBA G League championship, after guiding Toronto to its first title last spring. He recently coached his 100th game for the Raptors and holds a career record of 73 wins and 28 losses.

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Nick Nurse Named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month

After a short period of experiencing discomfort in his left knee, Patrick McCaw underwent arthroscopic surgery Wednesday to determine and correct the issue. A benign mass on the back of the knee was removed. The procedure was performed by Dr. Riley Williams at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

A timetable for McCaw’s return has not been established. He will be reevaluated in four weeks and his condition will be updated as appropriate. He will not travel with the Raptors as they begin a five-game west coast road swing on Friday.

McCaw has totaled eight points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and 40 minutes in two games this season.

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McCaw Injury Update

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have signed forward Stanley Johnson. Per team policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Johnson, 6-foot-7, 245 pounds, split last season between Detroit and New Orleans, averaging 6.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 18.3 minutes in 66 games (seven starts). He scored in double figures 17 times, including four 20-point performances. Johnson recorded a season-high 22 points Nov. 9 at Atlanta and grabbed a season-best 12 rebounds Oct. 31 at Brooklyn. He was acquired by the Pelicans from the Pistons on Feb. 7 as part of a three-team trade involving the Milwaukee Bucks.

A native of Los Angeles, California, Johnson is averaging 7.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 21.6 minutes in 285 career games (64 starts) with Detroit and New Orleans. He was picked eighth overall by the Pistons in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Johnson was named First Team All-Pac-12 and selected to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team in his lone season at Arizona (2014-15). He averaged a team-high 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 28.4 minutes in 38 games (37 starts) and helped the Wildcats reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season.  

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Raptors Sign Stanley Johnson

The Toronto Raptors announced Saturday that forward Patrick McCaw is out with a sprained right thumb. McCaw will wear a splint for approximately three weeks, and his condition will be then updated as appropriate.

The injury occurred in the first half of Thursday night’s win at New York. In 26 games with Toronto, McCaw is averaging 2.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in 13.2 minutes.