2015–16 Toronto Raptors Season
The 2015–16 Toronto Raptors season was the 21st season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). This season marked the Raptors' first 50-win season since their inception in the league, a franchise-best, besting their record (49–33) of the previous season. On May 1, 2016, the Raptors defeated the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the first round of the NBA playoffs. This was the second playoff victory in Raptors franchise history, and the first in a seven-game series. They returned to the semifinals for the first time since 2001. In the semifinals, the Raptors survived the third-seeded Miami Heat in a tough seven-game series, marking the first time the team advanced to the Eastern Conference finals. However, they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the eventual NBA champions, in six games. This is currently the only season in which the Toronto Raptors were eliminated by the eventual NBA champions. Draft Roster All-Star Game The Raptors we ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Dwane Casey
Dwane Lyndon Casey (born April 17, 1957) is an American retired basketball coach who most recently served as the head coach of the Detroit Pistons before transitioning to a front office position with the team. He is a former NCAA basketball player and coach, having played and coached NCAA basketball for over a decade before moving on to the NBA. He was previously the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Toronto Raptors, with whom he won the NBA Coach of the Year Award in 2018. Early years Dwane Lyndon Casey was born on April 17, 1957, in Indianapolis. However, his family moved to Morganfield, Kentucky when he was three years old. Casey graduated from Union County High School in 1975. Casey was a top recruit coming out of high school. He made the decision to commit to the University of Kentucky. During the 1977–78 Wildcats season, Casey helped guide the team to an NCAA Tournament Championship. He served as team captain during his senior year. During the summe ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Utah Utes Men's Basketball
The Utah Utes men's basketball team, also known as the Runnin' Utes, represents the University of Utah as an NCAA Division I program that plays in the Big-12 Conference, Big-12. They play their home games at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. The school has made the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, NCAA tournament 29 times. They last made the tournament in 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, 2016. Utah won the NCAA Championship in 1944 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, 1944, defeating Dartmouth Big Green, Dartmouth College 42–40 for the school's only NCAA basketball championship. However, the school also claims the 1916 AAU National Championship, which was awarded after winning the Amateur Athletic Union, AAU national tournament. They have also won the National Invitation Tournament, NIT once, defeating Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball, Kentucky in 1947 National Invitation Tournament, 1947. In 1998 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, 19 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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DeMarre Carroll
DeMarre LaEdrick Carroll (born July 27, 1986) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected as the 27th overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2009 NBA draft. Carroll played in the NBA for 11 seasons with the Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets and San Antonio Spurs. He played college basketball for the Vanderbilt Commodores and Missouri Tigers. Early life Carroll was born to parents Ed, a pharmacist and minister, and Cynthia Carroll. He was raised in Forestdale, Alabama. Carroll credits his inspiration to play basketball as his older brother DeLonte who died of a brain tumor at the age of nine. Carroll attended Minor High School in Adamsville until he transferred to John Carroll Catholic High School in Birmingham prior to the start of the 2002–03 season. He partnered with ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Jonas Valančiūnas
Jonas Valančiūnas ( ; ; born 6 May 1992) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the fifth overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. He has also played for the Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, and Washington Wizards. Valančiūnas has been a member of the Lithuania men's national basketball team since age 19. He won two EuroBasket silver medals in EuroBasket 2013 and EuroBasket 2015, earning All-Tournament honours in the latter. Valančiūnas also appeared in the documentary '' The Other Dream Team''. Professional career Perlas Vilnius (2008–2010) Valančiūnas started playing professionally for Perlas in 2008. During the 2008–09 season the team played in the Lithuanian National Basketball League (NKL), Lithuania's second strongest league, but moved up to the top-tier Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) the following season. In January 2009 V ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kyle Lowry
Kyle Terrell Lowry (born March 25, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A six-time All-Star, he was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2016 and won an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, their first and only title in franchise history. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Raptors players of all time due to his work with turning the franchise around, from the post-Vince Carter era to their first-ever championship in 2019. As starting point guard, Lowry played an integral role in the Raptors' success from 2012 to 2021. Lowry was also a member of the U.S. national team that won a gold medal in the 2016 Summer Olympics. Lowry played two seasons of college basketball with the Villanova Wildcats before he was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2006 NBA draft with the 24th overall pick. He appeared in three seasons with the Grizzlies before being trad ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, beginning with the 2024–25 NBA season. Previously, the Clippers played their home games at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles from 1999 to 2024, which they had shared with the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). They are frequently referred to by their fans as "the Clips" or "LAC". The franchise was founded as the Buffalo Braves in 1970 as an expansion team. Led by Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo, the Braves reached the NBA playoffs three times during their eight seasons in Buffalo. Conflicts with the Canisius Golden Griffins over Buffalo Me ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Assignment (NBA D-League)
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of the 2024–25 season, all are single-affiliated or owned by an NBA team except for the independent Mexico City Capitanes. The league was founded in 2001 as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL), renamed the NBA Development League (NBA D-League) in 2005. It received its present name in 2017 under a deal with Gatorade, becoming the first U.S. professional sports league named for an advertiser. Initially eight teams, the league expanded after 2005 under a plan by NBA commissioner David Stern to develop it into a true minor-league farm system, with each team affiliated with one or more NBA teams. By mid-2014, one-third of NBA players had spent time in the league, up from 23% in 2011. History National Basketball Development League (2001–2005) On J ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Jerry Stackhouse
Jerry Darnell Stackhouse (born November 5, 1974) is an American basketball coach and former professional player who is an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association. Stackhouse played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels and played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was a two-time NBA All-Star. He was the head coach of Raptors 905 and Vanderbilt as well as an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies. Additionally, he has worked as an NBA TV analyst. Early career Stackhouse was a premier player from the time he was a sophomore in high school. He was the state player of the year for North Carolina in 1991–92, leading Kinston (N.C) High School to the state finals. His senior year, he played for Oak Hill Academy with future college teammate Jeff McInnis, leading them to an undefeated season. He was a two-time first team ''Parade'' All-America selection, and was the MVP of the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Nick Nurse
Nicholas David Nurse (born July 24, 1967) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously served as head coach for the Toronto Raptors, whom he led to an NBA championship in 2019 and with whom he was named the NBA Coach of the Year in 2020. Nurse played college basketball for the Northern Iowa Panthers. He played professional basketball with the Derby Rams in the British Basketball League. Early life Nicholas David Nurse was born on July 24, 1967, in Carroll, Iowa. Nurse attended Kuemper Catholic School System, where he excelled in basketball. College career Nurse played at the University of Northern Iowa from 1985 to 1989, appearing in 111 games. He is the school's all-time three-point percentage leader at .468 (170 of 363). While playing at University of Northern Iowa, he was a teammate of current Division I college coach Greg McDermott. During their ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Alex McKechnie
Alex McKechnie (born in Glasgow, Scotland) is a Scottish-Canadian physiotherapist who works as the Vice President, Player Health and Performance for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association. He was inducted into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. Early life McKechnie was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He earned his bachelor's degree in physiotherapy from the Leeds School of Physiotherapy in Leeds, England. Professional career McKechnie started his career as a head physiotherapist for Simon Fraser University in 1974. The Vancouver Whitecaps brought him on board in 1988. Over the next few decades, McKechnie continued to work with the Whitecaps and 86ers, as well as the Vancouver Canucks and the Canada men's national soccer team. He was a staff member of the Canadian soccer team that won the gold medal at the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States. At the same time, McKechnie operated his own private sports medicine practice in Burnaby and hel ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Jama Mahlalela
Jama Mahlalela (born 1980) is a Swazi-Canadian basketball coach, currently an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Previously he has served as the head coach of Raptors 905 of the NBA G League and an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors. Career University of British Columbia Mahlalela played basketball for the UBC Thunderbirds. He played for five years, served as a team captain, and helped the team win a Canada West title in 2003. Mahlalela graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Kinesiology degree from UBC and the Jama Mahlalela Award was created in his honour. Toronto Raptors (2013–2021) Mahlalela started with the Toronto Raptors in 2006 as a member of the community development staff, leading the Raptors Basketball Academy and various clinics throughout Canada. He was named director of basketball operations for NBA Asia in 2009 and oversaw the League's clinics, youth programs and elite-level development from his base in ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Jamaal Magloire
Jamaal Dane Magloire (born May 21, 1978) is a Canadian former professional basketball player who currently serves as basketball development consultant and community ambassador for the Toronto Raptors. He played 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Charlotte Hornets, New Orleans Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers, New Jersey Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, and Toronto Raptors. The , center was selected out of the University of Kentucky by the Charlotte Hornets, with the 19th overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft, after withdrawing his name from the previous draft. He was voted into the NBA All-Star Game in 2004, becoming the second Canadian All-Star in NBA history. Early life Magloire was born in Toronto, Ontario, to Trinidadian immigrant parents, Garth, a welder, and Marion, an insurance worker. [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |