OKLAHOMA CITY AND TORONTO — After he was done taking a quiz testing his Raptors fan bona fides that was conducted over a month, RJ Barrett was modest but proud.
“I knew a little something,” Barrett said Monday after completing the test. “I knew more than anybody else on the team.”
But what about Kelly Olynyk, whose mother worked on the Raptors’ stats crew in the franchise’s first nine years? Olynyk is nine years older than Barrett and therefore has a better chance than Barrett to remember the team’s earliest days.
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“Yeah, but he moved away to the other side of the country, so we don’t know what he knows,” the 23-year-old Barrett said, referring to Olynyk moving from Toronto to Kamloops, B.C., in 2004 when his father, Ken, got a job as the athletic director at Thompson Rivers University.
At some point, maybe the two can compare scores. For now, Barrett, who likely has no working memory of the team’s first 10 or so years, was game to engage in some Raptors trivia. Barrett was asked most of the questions in early February after a practice in Oklahoma City, and then the rest in Toronto.
Barrett has described himself as a LeBron James fan as a kid and teenager, but he was also a Raptors fan, as they were on television when he grew up in Mississauga, where he lived until he was 15. He went to Game 3 of the 2019 NBA Finals in Oakland, Calif., and celebrated the Raptors win just days before the New York Knicks made him the third pick of that year’s draft.
“Me and my boys were going crazy,” Barrett remembered of the Raptors winning the title.
(This interview has been edited for clarity and length.)
So before you, seven Canadians have played for the Raptors. How many of them can you name? And I’m only giving you seven guesses. (Editor’s note: This was asked before the acquisition of Olynyk.)
Chris Boucher, Khem Birch, Cory Joseph, Anthony Bennett. Damn.
Of the guys you’re missing, two are still in the league and one is not.
Who the hell? I’m going to be so mad at myself, aren’t I?
I think if you had enough time, you could get all three of them. I’ll give you one more clue for two of them. They’re on the same team. (Editor’s note: This clue became no longer true after the trade deadline.)
They’re on the same team right now? The same team? Well, Wiggs (Andrew Wiggins) didn’t play with them. Tristan (Thompson) didn’t play. Oh my goodness. I don’t remember.
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Oshae Brissett, Dalano Banton.
Yesss. Oshae and Dalano.
And there’s an OG who you didn’t name.
Jamaal Magloire.
Yeah.
Ha! OK! I got five.
I don’t know if I’m giving you that last one. That was a strong clue.
I got five! OG could have been anybody. It could have been anybody.
I mean, not that many people.
Anybody! (Five points awarded out of seven.)
Who is the only Canadian to ever coach the Raptors.
To ever coach? Jay, Jay Triano. (One point awarded out of one. Current score: 6/8)
What did it mean to you when Bennett and Wiggins went first overall in consecutive years? You’re like 13, 14 at that age. What do you remember?
It was really inspiring to me because it kind of showed that us Canadians, we could really do this and we could actually really be good, not just make it there. So I remember me and my friends growing up, and you see a lot of us are in the league now because of those guys right there.
So this is sort of the question that inspired this: Name the three members of The Young Gunz. I’ll give you a clue. You named one of them early in your tenure with the Raptors. That’s why I’m asking you about it. And they were on the team right after Chris Bosh left.
OK. I know Cory (Joseph) was there.
Earlier than that.
Earlier than that? OK, well, I don’t know the Young Gunz, I don’t, I don’t know.
DeMar DeRozan, Amir Johnson and Sonny Weems. (Zero out of three points awarded. Current score: 6/11)
Wow. I didn’t know they were called that.
You’d have to have really been on Raptors Twitter probably at that time to know that. But when you mentioned Sonny Weems when you came over to the Raptors, I was like, “Oh, maybe he’s not a casual fan.”
I remember Sonny Weems. He was mad athletic. Yeah, I remember Sonny Weems and Amir Johnson.
He and DeMar were super, super tight. Anyway, it’s fair that you don’t know what they were called. That was probably for the die-hards.
You were picked third overall, as you know. Only two players have ever been picked higher than that by the Raptors. Who are they?
Andrea Bargnani. Chris Bosh? No. Wasn’t Vince (Carter). Wasn’t T-Mac (Tracy McGrady).
One clue: It was before you were born.
Before I was born? So it’s gotta be Vince or T-Mac. It’s not Damon Stoudamire. I don’t know.
Marcus Camby. (One out of two points awarded. Current score: 7/13)
Marcus Camby!
Second overall in the ’96 draft that had everybody.
Three Raptors before you went to Duke and then went on to play for the Raptors.
Gary (Trent Jr.)
I think you have a chance at two of them and not at the other one. Gary is one.
Went to Duke…
One’s definitely not in the league anymore. One might be kicking around, but I don’t think so.
Went to Duke? It’s not Josh McRoberts.
He was traded with Gary to the Raptors. He only played for a second for the Raptors. Not super memorable, I would say — no shade to him, it just wasn’t. All right, I’m timing you out. It’s Rodney Hood.
Rodneyyyyyyyy. Yes.
You know him at all?
Yes, I do know him. Lefty (like Barrett). Yeah, yeah. Actually, one of my trainers in New York works out with Rodney. So that’s how I knew him.
The other one was Antonio Long. (One out of three points awarded. Current score: 8/16)
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Oh, I don’t even know him.
What was it like playing for Coach K?
It was great, man. It was great. He’s just such a great basketball mind. And he loves people. He’s such a nice person. He knows really how to make a team come together, for sure.
Your career high is 46 points. Six Raptors have scored more than that in a game. You have six guesses. Name them.
DeMar. Terrence Ross. I remember that T-Ross game. He had, uhhh, 51?
Yep, 51 against the Clippers. And he missed the free throw at the end to break the old record.
Pascal Siakam, because he did that against me. Chris Bosh?
No. Two more guesses.
Vince Carter.
Yep. One more guess. And I’ll say you’re missing the guy with the franchise record.
Yeah, I don’t even know.
Happened fairly recently.
Wasn’t Gary. Fred (VanVleet)?
Yep. 54 in the Tampa season against Orlando. The other was Charlie Villanueva, who had 48, I believe, in a game. (Five out of six points awarded; Current score: 13/22)
OK, Charlie.
Do you remember the Rudy Gay trade?
I don’t remember who he got traded for, no.
That’s what I was going to ask you. You can’t name one of those guys — traded from the Kings?
Not Quincy Acy.
He went with (Gay). That’s actually my next question. So I’ll give you some credit.
I know Quincy Acy. I don’t remember who (Gay) got traded for.
Patrick Patterson, Greivis Vasquez, Chuck Hayes, John Salmons. (Zero out of four points awarded. Current score: 13/26)
I don’t know John Salmons, but I remember all the rest of those guys. OK.
Gay was traded with Quincy Acy and a big man, White dude. I’d be very impressed if you got this one. I don’t expect you to.
I’ll definitely know when you say it, but I’m not gonna remember it.
Aaron Gray. (One out of two points awarded. Current score: 14/28)
Yes, see, I told you … I remember Aaron Gray. That was a big boy.
I’m gonna blow through these real quick. Franchise record for total games played. Who has the record?
Kyle (Lowry)?
DeMar. Most 3-pointers total?
Kyle?
Yes. Most rebounds?
Chris Bosh.
Yes. Field goal percentage. And I’ll give you a clue: He is your teammate.
Chris Boucher?
No. Chris criticizes his own shot selection once a year. Jakob Poeltl. Assists per game. Got to go way back for this one.
Alvin Williams.
Damon Stoudamire.
Damon Stoudamire. Damn.
And this one is very difficult. True shooting percentage. I’ll give you as many clues as I can. He was a bit player in the 2010s. Was a reserve. Didn’t play every game. Had big hair.
Big hair. Who had big hair? Un-uh.
It’s Lucas Nogueira, Bebe. That was a tough one, admittedly. (Two out of six points awarded. Current score: 16/34)
When you were 8 years old, the Raptors traded Jermaine O’Neal to Miami. What former All-Star came back from Miami?
A former All-Star came back from the Raptors in 2009. Sheesh.
Played with Steve Nash. (Long pause.) The Matrix, Shawn Marion. (Zero out of one point awarded. Current score: 16/35)
He played for the Raptors, right? That’s what I was thinking. That’s what I was thinking. All right, I should’ve just said it.
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Just say it! What’s the worst that’s going to happen? You’re going to be wrong?
I guess. I should have said it. All right.
This is very obscure. In 2010-11, a multi-time All-Star who won the title that same year played two games for the Raptors. (Head coach Darko Rajaković comes over and listens.) Do you know it? (Rajaković shakes his head.) He was a 3-point shooter.
Not Steve Novak.
No. He’s from your coach’s part of the world.
No clue. Who is it?
Peja Stojaković. (Zero out of one point awarded. Current score: 16/36)
Peja played for the Raptors?
Two games, I told you.
Oh my God.
Darko Rajaković: I didn’t know he only played two games.
That’s what I’m saying. There was no way (I was getting that).
There have been a lot of trades between the Raptors and the Knicks. Not including your trade, can you name three players who went either way in one of those trades.
Bargnani. Quincy Acy wasn’t one.
A shooter came back in the Bargnani trade.
Steve? Steve Novak? Yeah.
There are some older trades too. One guy has been traded to New York from Toronto and then back from New York to Toronto.
Landry Fields?
He was a signing. Marcus Camby was traded both ways. Doug Christie was traded to the Raptors back in the day. (Two of three points awarded. Current score: 18/39)
Doug Christie played for the Knicks? I didn’t know that.
I think he started with the Lakers, Knicks and then came to the Raptors. Charles Oakley, you could have gone with him. You weren’t born when he came here. When Oakley shows up in Toronto or used to show up at MSG when he was allowed, does it evoke much in you?
He was never really there when I was playing there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them there.
I think somebody had made sure he wasn’t there anymore, but I won’t ask you to comment on that.
The last year you lived in Mississauga before you went to Montverde (Academy in Florida) was 2014-15. You’ll get seven guesses. Name the seven players who played the most total minutes that year.
DeMar. Kyle. (Long pause.) T-Ross. I don’t think Jose (Calderon) was there anymore.
You’re seeing one tomorrow.
Oh, yeah, JV (Jonas Valančiūnas).
You’re missing one forward and two guards.
One forward and two guards. DeMarre Carroll?
No. I think that was the year before DeMarre signed here. You get two more guesses.
Damn. (Greivis) Vasquez?
Yep. And the other guy won an end-of-season award in his only season in Toronto.
Lou Will (Williams).
Six out of seven. Pretty good. Patrick Patterson was the other one. (Current score: 24/46)
Patrick Patterson!
Three players in Raptors history, in addition to you, have gone to Montverde. Can you name them?
Scottie (Barnes). Played for Montverde. Played for the Raptors. Precious (Achiuwa).
Yep. And if you get the third one right, I will say you got perfect on this quiz.
(Laughs) Went to Montverde. I don’t know.
He also went to Florida State, actually, but this is like 10 years before Scottie, maybe even more. Does the name Solomon Alabi mean anything to you? (Two out of three points awarded. Current score: 26/49)
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Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He went to Montverde?
Apparently.
Last question. There are a bunch of other Raptors who have worn the No. 9. Can you name any one of them? And if you want a hint, think about the championship year.
Serge (Ibaka). (One point out of one awarded. Final score: 27/50, 54 percent)
I’ll tell you the list. Tony Massenburg. He was on the expansion team. Sharone Wright. Roy Rogers, Kornel David. Rick Brunson, Jalen’s father, your old (assistant) coach.
Rick wore nine for the Raptors? Ha!
Pape Sow, Maceo Baston, Joey Dorsey, Rasual Butler, Serge, D.J. Wilson and now you. Congratulations.
(Top photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)
