Toronto Raptors

Raptors Fire Nick Nurse After Five Seasons

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Nick Nurse briefly turned the Toronto Raptors into one of the NBA’s hottest brands. Serving with the team since 2013, Nurse took over as head coach in 2018. Despite going 59-23 the previous season, long-time head coach Dwayne Casey was fired after being swept in the Conference Semifinals by Cleveland. Nurse took Toronto all the way to a title in his first season, while also bringing to Kawhi Leonard to Canada.

However, Nurse has never been able to replicate that first-year success. Leonard left for LA in the offseason, meaning the Raptors traded a first-round pick for a championship. That 2019 first-rounder became Keldon Johnson, the Spurs’ leading scorer this past season. After winning 53 games the next season, the Raptors have completely dropped off. They won just 27 games in the 20/21 season and finished with a .500 record in the most recent season. As for the postseason, they lost in the first round in the 21/22 campaign and were outclassed by the Bulls in this year’s Play-In tournament.

Raptors Look To “Reset”

On April 21, the Raptors fired Nurse as head coach. Nurse had one year left on his contract and had met with Team President Masai Ujiri numerous times to discuss the plan going forward. However, it appears that Ujiri had other plans. In a statement, Ujiri said that the decision to move on from Nurse was “an opportunity for us to reset, to refocus, to put into place the personnel and the players who will help us reach our goal of winning our next championship.”

So what’s next for the Raptors, and for Nurse? Sources who spoke to ESPN said that former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka is a serious contender to take the Toronto job. Udoka has been a free agent since the Celtics suspended and later fired him for conduct violations. Meanwhile, Nurse may not have to wait long for his next role, as sources say that he is a prominent candidate for the vacant position with the Rockets. However, the move ends an era for the Raptors and the team will now look to find a new direction. The team holds a lottery pick in the upcoming draft.

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DeMar DeRozan’s Daughter Diar Escorted Out Of NBA Game After Online Threats

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Wednesday’s play-in game pitting the Toronto Raptors against the Chicago Bulls was quite the stressful endeavor, especially for DeMar DeRozan. Reportedly, his team‘s security escorted his nine-year-old daughter Diar out of the Raptors’ arena because she received many online threats. Furthermore, that was probably because she screamed during the Raptors’ free throws, which many thought gave the Bulls an edge. However, when you look at the 17-point lead that the Raptors blew, it’s evident that the Toronto team had bigger things to worry about than a yelling child. Also, it’s no reason for people to threaten a young child who had nothing to do with the sporting event, as disrespectful as some people think it came across.

Regardless, the Chicago Bulls emerged victorious from the match, with DeRozan in particular nabbing 23 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Unfortunately, after their loss to the Miami Heat on Friday (April 14), the Bulls will not make it to the playoffs this year. However, DeMar expressed unhappiness of claims of “overrated” status within the league, given his trade history and his impressive acumen throughout his career. Maybe this is necessary motivation to keep improving as a player, and he could definitely lead the Bulls to a run at some point in the future.

DeMar DeRozan’s Daughter Gets Online Threats Over Screaming At Raptors Game

After all, he is a record-breaking player, with him surpassing Wilt Chamberlain in most consecutive games played with over 35 points and over 50% shot percentage. “Just to be in the record books along with staples of basketball history speechless,” DeMar DeRozan remarked after the achievement. “As a kid, as a fan of the history of the game, being in the league as long as I’ve been in the league, things like that continue to make me even more humble.”

Meanwhile, the 33-year-old Compton native issued a statement following threats to his daughter’s life. “As long as she was there with her father, I wasn’t worried about anything happening!” he expressed. “It was just a precautionary measure and I appreciate that.” Hopefully the star player‘s family can go to games more peacefully following this incident. Regardless, come back to HNHH for the latest NBA updates and more news on DeMar DeRozan.

Drake Blamed For Recent Toronto Raptors Loss

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The Toronto Raptors were eliminated from playoff contention on Wednesday night. The loss was heartbreaking as the team couldn’t find a rhythm from the free throw line. However, could there be other reasons to blame for the poor performance by the Raptors? For one radio curse, a certain curse could have returned involving a celebrity Raptors fan. The fan in question is one of the biggest musicians of his era. Has the Drake sports curse hit the Raptors franchise again?

On Thursday’s edition of the D.A. Show, Pat Boyle seems to think Drake could be to blame for the loss in Toronto. Boyle believed the Toronto superfans’ presence at the game could have canceled out DeMar DeRozan’s daughter shrieking. DeRozan’s daughter could be heard letting out a loud screech during each trip to the free-throw line. Her vocal performance immediately made Diar DeRozan a viral sensation. Whereas a Toronto superfan was nowhere in site“If you don’t have Drake, and if that doesn’t work, the niceties of offering her things to make her stop shrieking, you get physical. You get her out,” Boyle said.

Radio Host Calls For Drake’s Toronto Raptors Fan Card

Generally, it has been a long-running joke that whatever side Drake chooses in an athletic endeavor will eventually lose. One of Drake’s most notable fandoms is his passion for the University of Kentucky’s college basketball team. Drake joined the team during the pre-season of one of their more memorable seasons. The Wildcats were on the verge of becoming history in 2015. Until the team lost their first game of the season in the Final Four. Drake was a huge supporter of the 38-1 Wildcats. Undeniably there is evidence behind the mythical curse.

The Toronto Raptors are now preparing for the off-season. Undoubtedly the potential Drake curse wasn’t the only pain last night. But Patrick Beverley also threw salt into the wounds after the game. The Bulls star was heard telling the Raptors GM that his team was trash. It hasn’t been an ideal 24 hours for the city of Toronto. However, the Raptors are not far removed from their own championship run. A moment the city of Toronto or Drake will never forget. For the latest news involving the NBA, stay locked in right here at HNHH.

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Patrick Beverley Takes Shot At Toronto Raptors

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Patrick Beverley is no stranger to trash talk. No matter who the opponent may be, Beverley will talk that talk. Just the season, the Chicago Bulls star made it his mission to try and end the Los Angeles Lakers season. Beverley wanted the chance to prove that his old team needed him. The Bulls got the win. However, the Lakers still punched their playoff ticket. Since then, Beverley has had bigger fish to fry. His Bulls are looking to punch their own playoff ticket. However, they would need to get by the Toronto Raptors first.

Indeed the Bulls passed their first test in the play-in tournament. On Wednesday, the team would defeat the Raptors to move on to the eighth-place matchup with the Miami Heat. But after the game, Beverley wanted to remind Toronto just who sent them home this season. Raptors TV broadcast assistant Mike Roach caught a Beverley moment as the Bulls guard ran past Raptors GM Bobby Webster. “I knew they were f****** trash.” Obviously, the they Beverley was referring to was Webster’s Raptors. But the Bulls didn’t win the game so easily.

Patrick Beverley Lets The Raptors Know

If you watched the game, you would know this one came down to free throws. The Raptors threw up brick after brick from the charity stripe. All those misses came back to haunt the team in their nail-biting defeat. Beverley is no stranger to becoming an icon of the play-in tournament. During his time in Minnesota, the Timberwolves earned a playoff spot through the tournament. Culminating in Beverley becoming a living GIF by throwing his jersey in the crowd in celebration.

As the great Kobe Bryant once said, the job is not finished. In order for Beverley in the Bulls to make the playoffs, they will need to defeat the Miami Heat on Friday night. The two teams will be competing for the final spot in the Eastern Conference. However, now it seems Patrick Beverley has made a new enemy with the entire city of Toronto. What are your thoughts on Beverley’s shot toward the Raptors? Do you think it was petty or just a part of the game? Sound off in the comment section with your thoughts. For the latest NBA news, keep it right here with HNHH.

Twitter Loves Diar DeRozan’s Free Throw Screams

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Getting loud during free throws is a time-honored basketball tradition. For a player, thousands of people trying to break your concentration can be incredibly daunting. Additionally, the energy is exponential – every missed free throw will only make the crowd louder. At this point, it is simply a part of basketball culture.

But to go viral for screaming at free throws, you need to really stand out. With thousands of other people doing the exact same thing, it’s truly a feat for your voice to be heard. However, that’s exactly what happened at the crucial Bulls-Raptors Play-In game. And the viral figure in question just happens to be the daughter of one of the players on the court.

Raptors Miss 18 Free Throws Thanks To DeMar DeRozan’s Daughter

In a do-or-die match to stay alive in the NBA playoffs, the Chicago Bulls traveled to Scotiabank Arena to face the Toronto Raptors. The teams finished ninth and tenth in the regular-season standings. As the ninth and tenth-seeded teams, the winner would face the Heat for the last place in the playoffs while the loser would start their offseason. The Bulls were looking to reach the playoffs in back-to-back playoffs for the first time since 2014. The Raptors were looking to do the same for the first time since 2020. It was a vital matchup for two teams coming off mediocre regular seasons.

The Raptors got off to the better start and were up by 11 at halftime. However, they were outscored by 16 in the second half to lose by four, 109-105. What would have helped the Raptors hold onto their lead would have been better free-throw shooting. The Raptors missed a season-high 18 free throws, eventually going 18-36 from the line. Notably, Diar DeRozan, daughter of the Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan, was incredibly vocal during every Raptors trip to the line. She is now being credited with being an essential part of the Bulls’ win. Her father put up 23 points and 7 rebounds for the Bulls. Zach LaVine led all scorers with 39 points. The Bulls will now face Miami for the East’s eight-seed on Friday.

Twitter Reacts

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Fred VanVleet Goes Off On NBA Referees In Uncensored Rant: Watch

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Fred VanVleet has been the backbone of the Toronto Raptors over the past couple of seasons. Overall, he was a large reason why the Raptors were able to win a championship back in 2019. He was the backup to Kyle Lowry, and there were some nights when he lit up the scoreboard. Subsequently, he has become the veteran voice of the Toronto Raptors, who have had some ups and down this season. Over the past few games, their ups and down have been at the mercy of the officials.

Against Denver, there was a situation in which Scottie Barnes was completely tossed from the game. Moreover, last night against the Clippers, the Raptors felt like they got completely hosed. Following the game, VanVleet decided to take to the podium where he went in on the referees. In the video down below, VanVleet made sure to lay it all out there. He ripped into head official Ben Taylor, while additionally giving us lots of profanity. It was an amazing rant that speaks to how frustrated the players are.

Fred VanVleet Doesn’t Hold Back

“I’ll take a fine, I don’t really care. I thought Ben Taylor was f—ing terrible tonight. For most nights, out of the three [officials] there’s one or two that just f— the game up,” VanVleet said. “It’s been like that a couple games in a row. Denver was tough, obviously. You come out tonight competing pretty hard, in the third quarter, I get a bulls—t tech, [it] changes the whole dynamic of the game, changes the whole flow of the game. Furthermore, VanVleet said that the officials are trying too hard to be the stars of the game when the fans just want to see the players.

Overall, this is a rant that is going to get VanVleet fined. However, this is something that needed to be said. NBA officiating has been ridiculous this season, and it is cool to see a player stand up for themselves in this way. Although, it will also be interesting to see how much the league fines him as these are uncharted waters.

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Toronto Raptors Apologize For Deleted Women’s History Month Video

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All they wanted to do was express gratitude for Women’s History Month, but the Toronto Raptors missed the mark with fans. March 1 ushered in a new month and a new celebratory season. The Raptors shared a brief, 13-second video highlighting WHM, but it quickly fell flat. Players were asked, “Beyoncé said girls run the world. Why do you think that’s true?” This is where things took a turn.

Malachi Flynn answered, “They are the only ones that can procreate.” Precious Achiuwa added, “They birth everybody.” The clip concludes after Scottie Barnes chimes in with, “All women are great because they’re all queens.” Viewers took to social media to complain that the video seemed awkward while highlighting that not all women can give birth and procreate.

The Video Disappears

TORONTO, ON – JANUARY 26: The team logo decal at center court on Welcome Toronto night during the Toronto Raptors NBA game against the Utah Jazz at Air Canada Centre on January 26, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***

The video was supposed to be empowering, but that didn’t translate for the public. It didn’t take long for the clip to mysteriously vanish from the Raptors’ socials, but it was too late; people were already firing off hot takes after screen recording the post. “In case you were worried no sports team would completely bungle their Women’s Empowerment Month goodwill this year,” one person tweeted in the video’s caption. “Here’s an already-deleted video from the Toronto Raptors. Speechless.”

LGBTQIA+ allies were also upset because it was stated by the players that only women can have children. Transgender equality advocates said that women weren’t the only ones who could become pregnant, prompting another fiery debate online. Later, the Toronto Raptors issued an apology via CTV News. “We’re an organization that prides itself on doing the right thing when it comes to inclusion and representation, and we made a mistake yesterday.”

Supporters Come To Team’s Defense

Still, despite deciding to take down the video, the Raptors had plenty of supporters in their corner. As podcast hosts were in a flurry to jump on a microphone and discuss the controversy, others questioned why this was an issue. The topic of transgender rights has caused a divide, and online, the Raptors are being defended. Check out the clip from the Toronto Raptors above, and let us know if you think it’s controversial.

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An NBA All-Star Described Drake’s Basketball Skills As ‘Just Old-Man YMCA Game’

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Drake December 2022
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Drake’s love for sports is well-documented. The Canadian musician has even formed close-knit friendships with some players. The rap superstar is often photographed courtside at some of his favorite basketball teams’ games. He’s given commentary during showdowns or even been the center of the commentary due to his fashion choices. He’s even found himself in a couple of social media spats while defending his hometown team, the Toronto Raptors.

When the entertainer isn’t on the road or working, he runs his own league, Sanctuary Basketball League (SBL). In contrast to rapper J. Cole, the OVO Sound boss’ likelihood of playing at the professional level is highly unlikely due in part to recurring ankle injuries. However, professional basketball player Fred VanVleet believes Drake could never make it in the league because of his lack of skill.

During the shooting guard’s appearance in a video segment from Canadian sports network Sportsnet, when asked about his opinion on rappers with a passion for the game, VanVleet replied, “[J. Cole] can play a little bit. You know what I mean? Not professionally, obviously. Drake is just old-man YMCA game. He just doesn’t move like a basketball player.”

Ironically, as much public support Drake shows the Toronto Raptors, it much hurt to hear their star guard doesn’t have faith in your game.

Usually, the self-proclaimed 6 God is quick to clap back. However, the rapper is still running off a high after celebrating his son Adonis’ 5th birthday.

Meanwhile, other players chimed in, too, like Scottie Barnes, who said of Cole, “He’s actually one of the artists that really knows how to play basketball.”

Drake & J. Cole’s Basketball Skills Rated By Toronto Raptors

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Some starts from the Toronto Raptors recently rated Drake and J. Cole’s hooping skills. Moreover, they had to distinguish between the court and the booth, as they’re two dominant MCs. However, their answers as to each rapper’s skills as a basketball player may surprise you.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – FEBRUARY 03: (L-R) Rapper’s Drake and J. Cole attend First Down Friday at Sensu on February 3, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

“[J. Cole is] actually one of the artists that really knows how to play basketball,” expressed Scottie Barnes, winner of the Rookie of the Year award in 2022. While Drake is an official ambassador for the franchise, some acknowledged the Dreamville artist’s skill. After all, he played in various professional leagues over the years and impressed many with his movement.

Meanwhile, guard Fred VanVleet said “[J. Cole] can play a little bit. You know what I mean? Not professionally, obviously. Drake is just old-man YMCA game. He just doesn’t move like a basketball player.”

“J. Cole moving super fluent so I’ma have to go with Cole,” fellow guard Gary Trent Jr. added. Furthermore, he pitted each GOAT contender against each other in a one-on-one for his thought process.

However, when it came to pitting their careers in music against each other, the Toronto Raptors surprised no one. While many gave love to the North Carolina lyricist, the 6 God clearly has a home-court advantage on their playlists.

“Drake’s low-key like the GOAT,” added Rookie of the Year Barnes. “Not low-key, [but] high-key. Whatever he drops is a banger.”

Furthermore, the OVO head honcho’s musical moves made for a stellar 2022 for him. However, J. Cole has refined his hooping chops with a lot of experience over the years. Moreover, he played for some African and Canadian leagues, and Drake helped him get on the Canadian Elite Basketball League. Specifically, he joined the Scarborough Shooting Stars in 2022.

Still, it’s no surprise considering the League’s co-owner, Nicholas “Niko” Carino. Also, he co-founded OVO and is Drizzy’s close friend, who linked up with Cole at Drake’s birthday party in 2021.

“You know, Dreamville and OVO are family,” Carino remarked. “Drake had a birthday party in L.A. last year. The conversation was, ‘I heard you have your team.’ It organically grew from there.”

Still, what do you think of the Toronto Raptors rating Drake and J. Cole’s basketball skills? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, stay tuned to HNHH for more curious crossovers in the worlds of hip-hop and basketball.

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