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  • Prehistoric: The Audacious and Improbable Origin Story of the Toronto Raptors
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Prehistoric: The Audacious and Improbable Origin Story of the Toronto Raptors Paperback – Dec 5 2023

4.7 out of 5 stars 49 ratings
4.4 on Goodreads
189 ratings

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The improbable story of the birth of modern-day pro basketball in Toronto

In just over 25 years, the Toronto Raptors have evolved from an intrepid expansion team to an NBA champion. But for all the triumphs of the past decade, the beginning looked a bit different. When the franchise began its first season in 1995, a pro basketball team in Toronto was viewed as an experiment. There was no playbook to follow, and very few people gave them a chance to succeed.

In Prehistoric, irreverent Raptors voice and culture writer Alex Wong explores the franchise’s fascinating and unconventional inception through 140 original interviews with those involved with the team’s very beginning, examining the process of how the team came up with their name and logo inspired by the blockbuster film Jurassic Park, taking a behind-the-scenes look at the drafting of star point guard Damon Stoudamire, telling the backstories of a group of misfits who formed the first-year roster, and providing an in-depth look at the team’s opening night victory at the SkyDome and the expansion franchise’s signature win over Michael Jordan and a 72-win Chicago Bulls team.

The Raptors boldly and intentionally pursued a much different audience in a hockey-first town. The result is a team who went through the necessary growing pains and eventually captured the heart of a city, as told in this essential origin story through the lens of the people who were there to help lay the foundation for a thriving modern-day basketball franchise in Toronto.

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From the Publisher

Prehistoric

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Review

“It might sound strange now—having witnessed a Raptors championship and seen Jurassic Park become the NBA’s greatest mosh pit for diehards—but Toronto wasn’t always an NBA hotbed. In fact, it was once considered a distant outpost, a curiosity, a gamble, foreign in every sense of the word. AsPrehistoricso vividly reminds us, it took a little faith, a little luck, and lot of persistence and passion to bring the Raptors to life. Alex takes you into the board room and the locker room to get the story of the Raptors’ rise—from the players, coaches, and executives who lived it.”
—Howard Beck, national NBA writer



“Alex Wong is that rare writer who can make a reader from any walk of life care deeply about the people he writes about, long after the last sentence.Prehistoricis much more than a basketball book. This beautiful, innovative exploration of a franchise reminds us that hoops can be a haven for belonging and community.”
—Mirin Fader, The Ringer



“As a lifelong Raptors fan,Prehistoricfloored me with an intimate, revelatory glimpse into the origins of a team I thought I knew everything about. Alex’s compelling prose and exhaustive reporting left me awed and engaged from beginning to end.”
—Yang-Yi Goh,GQ



“From the Raptors’ origins as a mere idea in a dreamer’s head to the team’s push to sell basketball to a hockey-mad town to how a diverse cast of characters found themselves on an NBA expansion team in Canada,Prehistoricis an unrivaled account of how this beloved team came to be. This book is essential reading for one of the most rabid and diverse fanbases in sports.”
—Joseph Casciaro, theScore



“I learned so many things readingPrehistoric. The amount of research done on the inception of the Raptors is truly unprecedented. Despite being a fan of the team since the beginning, my jaw dropped several times while reading. I was sent down a memory lane I didn't know existed.”
—Tas Melas,No Dunkspodcast co-host



Prehistoricis the story of how an unlikely cast of characters bonded as a family to deliver the first NBA franchise in Canada. The author brings you closer to everyone involved, from the staffers scrambling to sell tickets to the unlikely owner who won the bid to the castoff players who became cult heroes in Toronto. This book is a must-have for all Raptors fans, from the Day Ones wanting a nostalgia trip to the newer fans who will spot the same roots in the team almost three decades later.”
—William Lou,The Raptors Show



“‘When did you fall in love with basketball?’ It's a question I'm often asked. Thankfully, my answer is to now just hand over a copy ofPrehistoric, which perfectly captures the joy of having your own NBA team to root for as a young teen. The purple jerseys. The SkyDome. Mighty Mouse. This is the ultimate trip down memory lane, and a must-read for any Canadian hoops head.”
—J.E. Skeets,No Dunkspodcast co-host

About the Author

Alex Wongis a writer based in Toronto. He has written about basketball and culture for publications includingThe New Yorker,GQ,SLAM,The New York Times, andThe Atlantic. He is the author ofCover Story: The NBA and Modern Basketball as Told Through Its Most Iconic Magazine Covers. He co-authored the Canadian bestsellerWe The Champs: The Toronto Raptors’ Historic Run to the 2019 NBA Title.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Triumph Books
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ Dec 5 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1637276583
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1637276587
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 499 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.24 x 2.03 x 22.86 cm
  • 鶹 Rank: #143,029 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 49 ratings

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4.7 out of 5 stars
49 global ratings

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Top reviews from Canada

  • Reviewed in Canada on November 9, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Essential reading for even casual Raptors fans. Alex Wong is a detail oriented researcher and a wordsmith.
  • Reviewed in Canada on June 22, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    As a fan of the Raptors since day 1, this book brought me back to my childhood. I could not put it down once I started.
  • Reviewed in Canada on November 10, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    A book about a 21 win team has no business being this good. I pre-ordered this book on 鶹 with high expectations, and it surpassed every one.

    The dedication from Alex to get interviews from people throughout the organization, with different perspectives, keeps the readers engaged. If you’re a Raptors fan it’s a must own. If you’re not a Raptors fan, but you love basketball, this is for you. If you’re a fan of sports history, this is a must have. Any sports fan should be clamouring to buy this.
  • Reviewed in Canada on March 9, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Must read for raptors fans :))
  • Reviewed in Canada on August 11, 2024
    As a day one fan of the Raptors I was not expecting to learn so much. As Wong says in the acknowledgments, this was a personal story for all those involved, but as die-hard fans it feels personal to read as well. I’ve never written a book review, but this is a must read for anyone who has been captivated by this team for so long. What a beautiful narrative of how it all began. Congrats to the author and all those contributors.
  • Reviewed in Canada on October 28, 2023
    Long before the Toronto Raptors made their run to the 2019 NBA Championship, there was a group of people working furiously to win the NBA expansion team bid to bring the team to Toronto. This book weaves the facts of the origin of Canada's NBA team with the personal stories of people who were there making it happen. Stories about the development of the legendary logo, Samuel L Jackson being the first celebrity fan, and all the ups and downs of the inaugural season will blow your mind. You'll learn about the players that were overlooked who got a real chance, that the 1994 FIBA World Championship was in Toronto(???), and the real story behind the '95-'96 Championship Bulls loss at the SkyDome. Go grab a physical copy at Indigo!
  • Reviewed in Canada on November 1, 2023
    What a euphoric ride! I didn’t think there was so much I didn’t know about my hometown team. Alex did an incredible job of covering not only the players on the inaugural team but the people behind the scenes & steering the ship of this ambitious start-up! The sense of togetherness of everyone involved in the beginning of this journey is captured well by Alex. This is the type of camaraderie you don’t only want to know of but experience in some way! Must-read for any Raptors fan! Keep writing & look forward to more of your content with Will & Blake with The Raptors Show!
  • Reviewed in Canada on December 6, 2023
    I very much appreciated being brought on a trip down memory lane through such a formative year of my basketball and Raptors fandom. Alex Wong captured the moment so perfectly! The level of detail is excellent and this is a must-read for Raptors fans.

Top reviews from other countries

  • 鶹 Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A superb book!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 21, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I cannot recommend this book highly enough for not just Raptors fans but basketball fans worldwide. The author has done superb research as well as conducted interviews with many of the key players and staff and woven it together in a well thought out style. The book flows so well and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
  • Tanner Olson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book for any basketball fans!!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    🇨🇦🟪ʰ󾱲ٴǰ🟪🇨🇦
    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

    Being a basketball fan growing up in the 90’s, this book brought back rushes of nostalgia. The Toronto Raptors were a team that I was not super familiar with besides the big names, but Alex Wang did a fantastic job of intricately telling the story of how the franchise came to be.

    Starting from the bid process, to the expansion draft, through the entire first season, this book told the story from all sorts of interesting angles. Factoids and excerpts from players, owners, coaches, and even many of the staff members made this book a fast and easy read in a good way. This is the second book that I’ve read from Alex and I was not disappointed.

    I would definitely recommend this book for any basketball fan or sport fans in general.
  • J. Peers
    5.0 out of 5 stars What a fun read
    Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    If you love 90s NBA, this book is for you! I had a blast reading through this and learning about the Raptors' origins. Fun informative read.