As we conclude our Villains week, we asked our staff the most important questions surrounding the Toronto Raptors villains, rivals, and more.
Who’s the Toronto Raptors biggest villain? Who are their biggest rivals? And what random player has torched Toronto the most? All of these questions, while often discussed among Raptor fans, are a bit of a soft science. There isn’t one right answer, and one person’s voice isn’t representative of the entire fanbase.
So rather than asking one person, we polled our staff and asked them their opinions on some of the Raptors most pressing “villain questions.” Who’s the Toronto Raptors biggest villain? Is Vince Carter a villain? And more.
1. Who is the Toronto Raptors All-Time Villain?
Mike Bossetti
Let’s not overthink this. The player who destroyed the Raptors playoff hopes year after year, practiced his fadeaway jumper during the middle of a playoff game, and caused the city to be renamed “LeBronto” is the team’s biggest villain.
I don’t hate LeBron or think he’s a bad guy, but his torturing of the Toronto fanbase goes unmatched. After the 10th straight playoff loss, LeBron James ended the villain debate.
Zak McDonald:
It’s Paul Pierce. There’s really no other reasonable answer. I’ve never disliked a player more than the two-year stretch where washed Paul Pierce eliminated the Raptors in back-to-back playoffs with different teams.
Last year on ESPN this man called The OG purple Raptors jerseys the worst of all time, he is a villain of the highest degree and a man of poor taste.
Geethan Viswathasan:
Kawhi Leonard. Yes, the championship glow from the ring he delivered has yet to wear off the city. But hear me out. Who leaves a championship team after they were the MVP and focal point of the roster? With the full guaranteed max on the table?
Say what you will about other Raptors stars who departed via free agency, but none of them left a championship contender. There is a special place in my doghouse for the guy who potentially took away multiple finals appearances just as the country got a taste of what could have been. He hasn’t beaten us in any playoff games but has taken away countless playoff wins by leaving the city behind.
Go Paolo:
I was going to give this to the Mayor of LeBronTo until I realized that he inadvertently helped Toronto become NBA Champions (He made Masai blow it up). Vince isn’t really a villain, Rob Babcock was more of a tragic hero, and all the rest are small potatoes.
So let’s give it to Paul Pierce. From his exploits in Boston to Brooklyn, to him mocking the franchise as a sad excuse of an analyst, Pierce will go down as the numero uno los malo.