Hoopla: Inside the Raptors' First Season

Professional basketball is a very recent phenomenon in Canada and the new NBA franchise in Toronto brought new players into the field of high-stakes professional sport – the group headed by 32-year-old John Bitove, Jr., and its team, the Raptors.

A wide variety of problems have dogged Bitove, but the Raptors, backed by an impressive promotional effort and starring Rookie of the Year, Damon Stoudamire, captured the imagination of fans and generated massive interest and excitement. By season end, the Raptors’ attendance records placed them third in the NBA, even though the championship went elsewhere.

Jack Batten spent the year with the Raptors to produce a portrait of the inaugural year of this Canadian major-league franchise. He covers the bid process, the naming of the team, the fuss over the team’s new arena (still to be built), the appointment of Isiah Thomas as general manager and Brendan Malone as coach, and the gathering of the first group of players. But the main focus is the exciting 1995-96 season, and Batten highlights some of the most important and thrilling games, including the monumental win over Chicago before the largest crowd to ever see a basketball game in Canada. He profiles the players, the coach, and the many people behind the scenes who are crucial in putting together the “total entertainment package” that is professional basketball. And he delivers the inside scoop on the struggles that led to Malone’s end-of-season firing. Hoopla! makes for fascinating reading for basketball fans and anyone curious about this hugely successful sport.