TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 12: Raptor the mascot of the Toronto Raptors (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
Five decades before the Toronto Raptors made their NBA debut, the Toronto Huskies made their debut in the Basketball Association of America (BAA). While they lasted just one season, the Huskies remain a landmark achievement and milestone in the history of Canadian sports.
Before a 1948 merger between the BAA and National Basketball League (NBL) that formed the modern NBA, Toronto was one of the cities selected to help professional basketball get off of the ground.
Their first game was on November 1, 1946 against the rival New York Knickerbockers, who morphed into the New York Knicks we all know and love (hate) today.