Hakeem Olajuwon (Photo by JAMES NIELSEN / AFP)
The Toronto Raptors’ history is unique in that it is almost equally dotted with moments of greatness and disgrace. On this day in Raptors’ history, February 12th, 2002 served as the beginning of a season that was nearly lost completely if not for the team heroically banding together and defying the odds.
The Raptors had completed the 2001 season on a high. They had just competed in their second-ever NBA Playoffs. A Vince Carter miss in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series with the Philadelphia 76ers was the difference between going home and appearing in the Eastern Conference Final.