From being called “NBA Barneys” to 2019 NBA Champions, the Raptors have come a long way since 1995.
The Card: 1994-95 Fleer #237
This is considered the first card produced for the Toronto Raptors. It was released in 1994 by Fleer, featuring the team logo in front of the Toronto skyline and CN Tower.
The card back provides a note of Toronto’s expansion franchise, mentioning Isiah Thomas as the team’s Vice President of Basketball Operations. For a brief backstory of the card company Fleer and Bill Ripken, click here.
Looking back at name, it is believed that the popular 1990 science fiction novel Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton at the time was the reason that “Raptors” was chosen as the name.
MoCC 