When the Raptors acquired Serge Ibaka on Valentines day from the Magic, Toronto fans were extatic to say the least.
As much as fans were excited about Ibaka joining the Raptors, though, they were probably equally disappointed that Terrence Ross was heading to Orlando.
Ross, who was drafted by the Raptors in 2012-13, had spent his entire career in Toronto before being dealt.
This city was home for him and family, and we imagine leaving was tough. Through The Players' Tribune, Ross explained how tough it was leaving Toronto in a heartfelt "Thank You" letter to the city.
When I first found out earlier this month that I was getting traded to Orlando, man, I won’t lie to you: It definitely hurt. Everything that I was a part of in Toronto, with this team, and these fans, and this journey that we were all on together … it meant so much to me. And the reason it meant so much to me, I think, was that my Toronto journey has really been the journey of my adult life so far.
When I came to Toronto, I was just a kid: 21 years old, with only two years of college under my belt, and (yeah, we can admit it, I’ve seen my rookie tapes) not much polish. But now, as I say goodbye at 26, and look back on my time with the Raptors … I feel like I’ve truly grown up. As a player, I’m still not quite where I want to be — a high-impact contributor on an NBA champion — but I’m working hard to be on my way. And as a person … well … I just hope I’ve grown into a man that you all can be proud of.
In his letter, Ross touched on a lot of things that happened during his time in Toronto, including two words that Masai Ujiri shouted to Jurassic Park.
F*ck Brooklyn.
Masai said those words, and the whole crowd just … erupted. It was insane. I couldn’t get over how loud it was. How pumped up they all were. Yo, for real, I remember thinking. How many people must that be? And then, as if the camera was reading my mind, the shot zoomed out … and panned over to the crowd … and, man, I swear, I will never forget it. It was just this massive … endless … sea of red and white: waves on waves of Raptors fans, gathered there together, in Jurassic Park. It was more hype than I’d ever seen it. Honestly, it might have been more hype than I’d seen any crowd ever. Must have been thousands deep. And they were all there for us. Well — for us, but for more than just us.
They were there for our city.
Seriously: How many places do you know where the players gather around the TV … to watch the fans?! It was surreal. But on that afternoon, for us, it felt exactly right. And it was at that moment — our whole team, in the locker room, just standing there in awe, watching Jurassic Park show up for us — that it dawned on me what we were building here in Toronto. It was at that moment that I realized we weren’t just building a quality team … or a division winner … or a title contender.
We were building a movement.
Raptors players that play in Toronto for a long time understand that they're not just representing a city, and Ross also talked about the pride he had in representing Canada.
Being a country’s only team … there’s a responsibility that comes with that. It’s almost like every season, for Raptors fans, is its own mini Olympics. There’s something to prove. Which … maybe that sounds a little dramatic, if you’re not from there. But I’m telling you: It isn’t. People really do underestimate just how much Canadians are about this hoops life. And I loved that — all of it: both being underestimated, and being around people whose passion for the game of basketball was as strong as my own.
And the truth is: Five years later, I’ve started to feel a little like an honorary Canadian myself. The culture, the lifestyle, the people of Toronto … I’ve really grown to love all of it. It’s such a melting pot, and — maybe because of that — people there tend to have this beautiful … I don’t know … sense of self. People in Toronto know who they are, and they know where they’re from. It’s hard to explain, but I’ve really come to admire that.
Anyway, for now, I guess I’ll just drop an “eh?” or two in Orlando, and see what kind of reaction I get. But long-term … I gotta say: I could definitely see myself coming back to Toronto, at some point, to live there. To me, Canada — it’s become like a home away from home.
Ross also mentioned his relationship with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan and how they became superstars right before his eyes:
And there’s another thing those experts didn’t know: Kyle and DeMar are superstars. Straight up. Those guys, even back in 2013, were ready to take their place among the best one-two punches in the entire league. All they needed was a chance. And instead, everyone was calling for a trade. No one knew. But we knew.
And now everyone else knows as well.
I’m so proud of those guys, and I’ll continue to be proud of them as I move on to play for Orlando. To me, our relationship — it’s bigger than basketball now. Those guys are my older brothers.
Thanks for everythingT-Ross and best of luck in Orlando. Also, check out Ross' entire letter in The Players' Tribune here!
(H/T: The Players' Tribune)
