NBA mascot power rankings, best past and present

17. The Raptor: Toronto Raptors

Contrary to popular belief, Drake is not the Toronto Raptors’ mascot, despite some of his superfan behavior during the 2019 NBA Playoffs suggesting otherwise. No, that honor belongs to the Raptor, a red humanoid “velociraptor” modeled after the Jurassic Park version of the dinosaur (of course, actual velociraptors looked more like birds than reptiles).

The team introduced The Raptor in 1995, the same year they entered the league as an expansion franchise, in a manner that invoked memories of the Gobbledy Gooker for old-school wrestling fans.

Prior to the Raptors’ inaugural game against the then-New Jersey Nets at the Skydome — now known as the Rogers Centre — team personnel rolled a large egg out to midcourt. Not long after, The Raptor burst from his shell draped in team apparel and the rest is history.

Aside from his more traditional design, The Raptor is also known for his long-running feud with veteran center Robin Lopez, who said this about the crimson carnivore back in 2014:  “I wish we could go back to Toronto because he gets my goat. I have a few choice words for that guy.”

Outside of that, an Achilles injury that sidelined him in 2014 (which introduced Toronto fans to his “cousin” Stripes) and his inflatable version swallowing a cheerleader whole, The Raptor has become a beloved figure in Toronto as that team has increased in popularity.