Toronto Raptors: The players who were opposite of fan favourites
By Go Paolo
Hedo Turkoglu
Where to begin with this guy? It’s one thing to be no longer have it due to age or injuries. It’s an entirely different thing to just not care about basketball anymore.
After having career seasons with the Magic in the previous two seasons, the Raptors signed-and-traded for Turkoglu. The 30-year-old averaged 19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in his banner year, where he won the Most Improved Player award. He messed around and got triple-doubles too.
Brought in to convince Chris Bosh to stay, Turkoglu was supposed to be the “Robin” to his “Batman”. Instead, Turkoglu played more of the playboy Bruce Wayne part and left none of the Robin or Batman parts as he stunk up the joint with his worst scoring average (11.3) in six seasons.
Turkoglu called in sick to a game due to a “stomach virus” then was promptly spotted by fans in a Yorkville nightclub. He was benched by the team as a disciplinary measure. But it only gets better!
A few months later, Turkoglu went on Turkish TV to throw shade at the Raptors and boldly proclaimed he was ditching the team.
In that ensuing offseason, he was shipped away to Phoenix where he would last 25 games before being traded back to Orlando. Only this time, he would get suspended for peeing hot.
Toronto fans are used to being disappointed whether it’s choking in the playoffs or getting turned down by NBA stars. But there’s a special something that angers fans to this day about a former stud who takes the team’s money and literally loafs.