Part 1/7:
The Birth of the Toronto Raptors: A Journey Through Struggles and Triumphs
In the early 1990s, basketball was taking off in various parts of the world, yet in Canada, it struggled to gain traction. For John Bitov and Richard Peddie, the dream of establishing an NBA team in the heart of Toronto was about to become a reality.
In a landscape where multiple ownership groups were vying for an NBA franchise, they faced fierce competition. At one point, Master P even expressed his interest in forming a basketball team in the Scotiabank Arena. However, Bitov and Peddie prevailed, and ultimately, the NBA's expansion committee approved the Raptors' inclusion in the league ahead of the 1995-96 season.