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Despite the excitement, the early days of the Raptors were rough. Bitov recalls visiting 20 franchises only to find that the expansion was not as democratic as he had hoped. The league told them that instead of picking a name, they would have to work alongside NBA properties to find a suitable identity.
Branding the Raptors
The process of branding their team proved to be an adventure in itself. Tom O'Grady, the NBA's first creative director, was brought in to help with the visual identity. Inspired by the success of "Jurassic Park," they decided to pursue a dinosaur theme—a bold choice. After much debate, they settled on purple as the team's primary color, a decision influenced by blending the colors of other Toronto sports teams.