Raptors fans turn on veteran player who just admitted he didn't really enjoy Toronto

It seems like there's a trend of NBA veterans who once spent time in Toronto speaking out on podcasts to express their dissatisfaction with playing for the Raptors' franchise. Rudy Gay did it a while back, and he absolutely got hammered by an unhappy Raptors fanbase that was quick to come to their team's and city's defense.

Well, this new one I just stumbled upon kind of hurt me more, considering it's a player I always loved growing up and was very excited to have on the team when he joined us at the 2021 trade deadline: veteran wing Thaddeus Young.

So, I'm scrolling through X, and what do I find? A clip of Thad Young on an episode of the Out the Mud podcast with hosts and defensive stalwarts Zach Randolph and Tony Allen. What is he on there talking about? How he didn't like living in Toronto, anyway—that's what. You can listen in and read the snippet from the X clip attached below.

Ex-Raptor Thad Young shares his mixed feelings about living in Toronto

Now, I'll get to some of the ruthless responses from those in Raptors Nation shortly, but first, I think it's only fair to understand where Young is coming from before reacting so irrationally. While his choice of words might not please the majority of the Raptors faithful, I can see the point he was trying to make. To his credit, he still acknowledges Toronto as a city. Young basically said he enjoys Toronto as a tourist destination, but living in the city on a permanent basis is not in his best interest, nor does he enjoy it.

As a Toronto boy through and through, no matter how messy or darn cold this city can get, you can never make me hate the place that made me. But for an outsider, on the other hand, it’s super easy for them to enjoy the highlights in a short period and then come to realize they might have overstayed their welcome.

Now, to be fair, for an NBA player joining the Raptors franchise, those are just the quirks that come with the job. I understand that these American guys might not like our dollar, taxes, climate, and whatnot, but come on— you don’t come out and say something like this after leaving the team, especially when there seemed to be a consensus rallying around Young as a savvy veteran for the Raptors in his stint.

Not only that, but Toronto even gave up a first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs to get Young on this team, a move that seemed super baffling then and even now looking back. Sure, the pick, which became Malaki Branham didn't turn out amazing for the Spurs, but you get the point.

Moreover, I find it quite odd for Young to say something like this, yet he was the one who signed an extension to remain with the team that offseason, sticking around for two more seasons. If he didn't like Toronto so much, why not jump at the opportunity to possibly leave?

But that's just my two cents. Now, I think it's time we take a look at how angry some Raptors fans became upon hearing this revelation from Thad Young. Obviously, given how vulgar and explicitly passionate some Raptors fans can be, out of respect for this site, I can't really embed their responses below. However, here are some of the most acceptable X responses I could select that reflect their reactions:

So there's that. I don't think Thad Young did himself any favors by speaking out on Toronto like this, but hey, he's entitled to his opinions. However, knowing the Raptors faithful, that doesn't mean they won't clap back in full force like a pack of wolves. I mean, not too long ago, it wasn't even a bad thing that Raptors legend DeMar DeRozan said, yet many on social media were quick to clown him nonetheless.

I think the moral of the story here is: don't mess with Toronto, and you won't get the horns. Am I right?