No. 3: Opening Tip-Off from the First Ever Raptors Game
This was a tough one to call. There were so many highlights that just missed the cut, from Kyle Lowry’s mid-court prayer to send Game 1 of the 2016 Eastern semis against Miami to overtime to Morris Peterson’s seemingly impossible heave at the buzzer against Washington.
But contextual significance matters, so the fact that the Raptors ultimately lost to the Heat in overtime and the fact that Peterson’s heroics came during a regular-season game in March knocks both out of contention.
The Toronto Raptors’ first tip-off would fetch a nice price on NBA Top Shot
The inaugural tip-off was just that – a tip-off. But when Toronto’s Zan Tabak took to center court against Yinka Dare of the New Jersey Nets, moments after James Naismith’s great-great-grandson ushered in the expansion franchise with the ceremonial tip, it marked the dawn of a new era and the first professional basketball in the city since the days of the Huskies.
Beginning their existence at the SkyDome in front of 33,306 fans, the Raps would win their franchise debut 94-79 on the strength of Alvin Robertson’s 30 points.
That initial moment has, of course, given way for an organization that has since grown into an NBA champion with an entire nation behind it. That makes the video, a rare find 26 years later, a pretty remarkable thing to be able to claim any rights to.