Your Connection to the Raptors?

[Basketball_Jones]

See Maytricks Championship thread for mine.

[Chevy Chase]

Having season tickets makes it unfair as every year we would either be invited to a draft party or some meet and greet where they would make a few bench guys / rookies sign autographs.

I remember the year after they drafted Bosh, he was the token autography guy as we waited for the draft to start. I waited in line to get my free hat signed and when I met him I asked if he wanted to play in a pick up game on the weekend . He said he wanted to but he had to attend some promotional picture taking event. I swear to god that he looked serious in his disappointment that he couldn't come. Probably for the best as I'm white and 5' 8" and our crew was pretty sad.

[BryceMaxJames]

The my girlfriend for the past 3 and a half years was dating Tmac for 3yrs while he was in t.o

[FirstAid]

BC once answered a question that I emailed to Chuck for an interview or something he did with BC.

(H)

[Los Manos]

When the Raptors were playing in Rome, my gf and I nipped off to the bar for another beer just before tipoff and as we turned the corner in the arena halls, BC came flying out and knocked my g/f to the floor. He apologized in Italian and picked her up before my g/f spoke back in English. Colangelo then just said "Really hope you enjoy the game" before hurridly heading off to the media room.

[Veggamattic]

I've actually got a few but here is another...I was at a pre-season game about ten years ago against Minnesota and I was sitting right behind Kevin McHale and an assistant coach for the Wolves. I started talking to the assistant at half time and we actually talked quite a bit back and forth during the game. I got a K McH autograph fro a grumpy HoFer but the funny thing is that I didn't figure out until about 1.5 years later than it was Rob Babcock I had been chatting with. We actually talked mostly about the rookie Loren Woods.

[Nivrad]

I've actually got a few but here is another...I was at a pre-season game about ten years ago against Minnesota and I was sitting right behind Kevin McHale and an assistant coach for the Wolves. I started talking to the assistant at half time and we actually talked quite a bit back and forth during the game. I got a K McH autograph fro a grumpy HoFer but the funny thing is that I didn't figure out until about 1.5 years later than it was Rob Babcock I had been chatting with. We actually talked mostly about the rookie Loren Woods.

Haha ... Loren Woods, the second coming of Hakeem ... if only we had a story about the Banger Bros ... Baxter & Archibald I think it was...

[Thunderwolves23]

My Family was attending a game in 1996. At halftime a few people who worked for the Raps asked us if they could take some pictures of our family and gave us some free raptors gear. They called us 6 weeks later and said the pictures turned out great and that they wanted to use them to promote their family pack tickets. The Ad was in the Toronto Star and TTC for 2 years. We got a large copy of the ad framed and signed by Isiah Thomas (president at the time) thanking my family as well as and courtside ticket to a few games.

[dohboy_24]

I was walking in the PATH around Adelaide and King and saw Chris Jefferies when he played for us.

I was walking in the opposite direction and noticed him about to pass through the doors, so I said "Excuse me, are you Chris Jefferies?"

He said "Yes" and I congratulated him on being drafted and wished him good luck for the upcoming season.

I also attended the 1995 NBA Draft at the Skydome.

I believe it was the first "official" Raptors-related event and I was there to see all of the players walk off the stage and into the dugout (facing me within shouting distance).

Joe Smith
Antonio McDyess
Jerry Stackhouse
Rasheed Wallace
Kevin Garnett
Bryant Reeves
Damon Stoudamire
Theo Ratliff
Michael Finley

... plus a few others: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_NBA_Draft#Round_one

One of the worst 2nd rounds ever, can't think of too many names who played more than a season in the league.

[Cool-Hand-Luke]

Not really a serious connection. Vince Carter was in the restaurant I worked at the day before his trade was announced. Was passing through the main area and he was by himself and looking miserable. I may have prepared his last meal in T.O.. Lots of Raptors came through late night actually I always made their food. I remember a few times Bosh, Bargs, Jose, Parker, Loren Woods ate post game dinners there. Loren Woods was seriously tall. I baked Donyell Marshalls pizza one night and wrote "good luck hope we make the playoffs.".

[Gold Chain]

I was walking in the PATH around Adelaide and King and saw Chris Jefferies when he played for us.

I was walking in the opposite direction and noticed him about to pass through the doors, so I said "Excuse me, are you Chris Jefferies?"

He said "Yes" and I congratulated him on being drafted and wished him good luck for the upcoming season.

I also attended the 1995 NBA Draft at the Skydome.

I believe it was the first "official" Raptors-related event and I was there to see all of the players walk off the stage and into the dugout (facing me within shouting distance).

Joe Smith
Antonio McDyess
Jerry Stackhouse
Rasheed Wallace
Kevin Garnett
Bryant Reeves
Damon Stoudamire
Theo Ratliff
Michael Finley

... plus a few others: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_NBA_Draft#Round_one

One of the worst 2nd rounds ever, can't think of too many names who played more than a season in the league.

That's true, Eric Snow is the only one I can pick out of that list. Any others I missed?

[tush]

my girlfriend and I drove down to the Nets game last year (posted on the board already)
Matt Devlin put us on the broadcast.

YouTube Link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtHxX-B7mW0

saw Bryan Colangelo at real sports bar and grill the night free agency started, spoke to him and got a picture.


Worked at lucky strikes and all the raptors came in for a charity event.


Saw Jarret Jack this summer at the airport waiting for a ride as I was picking up my sister, spoke to him for a minute.

[dawn_wan]

i used to park hedo's car.

[Ali812]

My connection is not as cool as everyone's here. However, most members of this board were aware that Sonny Weems hosted 3 basketball camps this offseason, one of them happened to be in Vaughan and literally a 5 minute drive away from my house. So I had my little brother enroll there since he's a big time Raps fan and wouldn't want to miss out, but I also received the benefit of hanging out with Sonny Weems for 5 days (note: Sonny promised Demar was gonna show up, never did >.<)

[theSkinny]

Ali... glad to see that avy living on.

[The Answer!]

My 'Vector Viewpoint' was read on-air at the half 3 separate games by Chuck and Leo. One of them was the Infamous game Kobe scored 81 on us.

[Tdot24]

Ran into CB a couple of times last year. The guys that did his DVD and the same people doing a lot of Amir's viral vids are in the same building that I use to work at before we moved to our new location.

Seemed like a cool guy, though I never bothered to approach him to not seem like a groupie. He drove a black Bentley continental sedan and was always with this big dude, probably a bodyguard.

Also met Hadi through one of the guys at One Method (the guys who did CB's promo stuff), a lot of you hate on this dude, but he's actually a pretty cool guy.

Besides that, I really couldn't care less about the Raptors. Go Lakers!

[Flashy_Lights]

Met Sonny last year at Marche restaurant . He was there with one of his boys eating lunch. This guy had a huge steak dinner a giant bowl of pasta and a pitcher of some freshly squeezed fruit juice. I mean the guy looked like he was eating for 5. Anyway my boy and I go and say wsup. This was before he was getting any playing time and I told him to just keep his head up and that I thought he had a chance to be a great player he just needed the opportunity.

A few days later he dropped 20 on the knicks and really started to hit his groove. Now anytime my boys and I are watchin a game and Sonny is doing well they all joke and say, "Damn Bro What did you say 2 that Guy!"

[Nivrad]

My 'Vector Viewpoint' was read on-air at the half 3 separate games by Chuck and Leo. One of them was the Infamous game Kobe scored 81 on us.

LOL ... what was your vector viewpoint on Kobe's 81 points???

[Moon Walk]

http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id ... 1_*1_*1_*1

Thats the connection to have!!!