The 4:00 a.m. news on Wednesday morning was a lot to take in. The Raptors had just acquired one of the best players the NBA has ever seen, one that team president Masai Ujiri calls a “top 5 player in the league.”
We had also lost the heart of the team, the franchise, and the city. DeRozan, Toronto’s indispensable ambassador, will become a Spur.
DeRozan was Toronto’s All-Star. He was our All-star. He played the most games and minutes of any Raptor in franchise history. He beat out both Chris Bosh and Vince Carter for most points scored in franchise history by over three thousand total.