ORLANDO – The Toronto Raptors are the envy of the basketball world right now – and not just because they threw a massive party and a parade on Monday to celebrate winning the franchise’s first NBA title.
In a day and age usually dominated by splashy stars and super teams created by top players joining forces, the Raptors became the first NBA team since 1989 to win an NBA title without a lottery pick on the roster. In fact, no Raptors’ player was even picked in the top five of an NBA Draft, differing greatly from squads such as the 1993 Chicago Bulls that had nine top-five picks, the 2011 Dallas Mavericks that were loaded with 11 top-five picks and the 2012 and ’13 Miami Heat teams that had six top-five selections.