Toronto Raptors Logo PNG
Aggressive and predatory “dinosaurs” are displacing weak and aimless creatures. Athletes from the Toronto Raptors club chose a logo featuring a prehistoric animal that inspires them to resounding victories. Basketball players are always ready for powerful attacks and brilliant maneuvers. All this is a symbol of indomitable will.
Toronto Raptors: Brand overview
| Founded: | 1995 |
| Founder: | Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment |
| Headquarters: | Toronto, Ontario, U.S. |
| Website: | nba.com |
One of the few positive moments that made 1993 memorable was the release of “Jurassic Park,” one of the most popular and highest-grossing movies in history. The film had the effect of an exploding bomb: fascination with dinosaurs became universal, and the Tyrannosaurus Rex turned into a new cult character.
That same year, nearly half a century later, the return of professional basketball to Canada was announced. Currently, the “Toronto Raptors” are the only NBA team representing Canada. The Raptors were founded in 1993, and they joined the National Basketball Association in 1995 when the leadership decided to expand the league to include Canadian teams. Along with the “Toronto Raptors,” the “Vancouver Grizzlies” also joined the NBA, but in 2001, the club changed its location from Vancouver (Canada) to Memphis (Tennessee, USA). Since then, “Toronto” has been the sole representative of the “land of maple leaves.”
One of the main tasks was to choose a suitable name, so a contest was announced in Toronto, collecting over 2,000 entries. The most preferred option was to return to the roots: the team Toronto Huskies was remembered. However, the “Huskies” option soon fell through due to the similarity of the club’s logo with the emblem of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The management decided to announce a contest for the best team name. Over 2,000 suggestions for the name and emblem of the club were sent, of which only nine were left for consideration: Beavers, Bobcats, Tyrannosaurs, Pigs, Dragons, Scorpions, Raptors, Tarantulas, and Grizzlies. In the end, the winner of the vote was the name Toronto Raptors, inspired by the Hollywood blockbuster.
Meaning and History
The young team, formed in 1993, received its logo three years later in 1996. Based on the name, it is associated with the theme of dinosaurs. Initially, it was an image of an anthropomorphic predator at full height, but then they removed it, leaving only the ball.
Thanks largely to the 1990s, the colors of the teams began to correspond to modern trends and tastes. Therefore, it seemed that many sports franchises took a decade-long vacation in style, demonstrating a complete lack of style and good taste. The huge popularity of Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster “Jurassic Park” (1993), which had the effect of an exploding bomb, influenced pop culture. Fascination with dinosaurs became a common phenomenon, including for the Toronto Raptors team. Therefore, the team’s logo featured a cartoon Tyrannosaurus Rex as a cult character. As for the team’s color palette, it was influenced by the so-called purple-black revolution of the 1990s. Unsurprisingly, it was purple-black. Only after nearly 20 years of the franchise’s existence did it agree to adopt a new version of the logo, elements of which were originally present on the team’s alternative emblem.
What is Toronto Raptors?
The Toronto Raptors is a member of the National Basketball Association and the only Canadian team since 2001. It was founded in 1995 and has had varying success. In 2019, they managed to win the NBA Finals for the first time.
1996 – 2008
As the main element of the team’s logo, the management chose a velociraptor. This fast and nimble creature, capable of instantly reacting to circumstances, has tremendous endurance, and is a patient predator. The red dinosaur is dressed in white sports gear – shorts and a T-shirt with the letter “R” on the chest. He is leading a basketball, looking back at the animal’s feet – sneakers with two protruding claws. The long tail extends far beyond the logo. At the top, there is an arched word “Raptors,” and above it, in smaller font – “Toronto.” The emblem also features purple lines, a circle, and spikes.
2009 – 2014
The 2009 changes mainly concerned color. All other elements remained the same: a round background (in the form of a disk), sharp “spikes,” like on the back of a velociraptor, an open mouth with two rows of teeth, and so on. In this version, designers replaced the purple color with red to add aggressiveness to the logo to intimidate competitors.
2015 – present
After seven years, the team presented an updated logo. It radically differs from the previous versions, as it contains a different design: there is no prehistoric dinosaur on it. Thanks to this, the readability of the inscription has increased. But the predator has not disappeared completely: its presence is noticeable by the traces of sharp claws on the basketball. The logo has acquired the shape of a classic disk with a round central part and edging around the edge.
The new team logo was developed by the creative agency Sid Lee from Toronto, which characterized it as aggressively stylish.
Toronto Raptors: Interesting Facts
The Toronto Raptors are a basketball team from Canada playing in the NBA. They started in 1995, right after the Vancouver Grizzlies moved to Memphis.
- How They Got Their Name: In 1995, people chose “Raptors” because of the dinosaur craze caused by the movie “Jurassic Park.”
- Winning the Big One: In 2019, the Raptors won the NBA Championship for the first time, beating the Golden State Warriors. They were the first team from Canada to win it.
- Drake’s Role: Drake, a famous rapper from Toronto, became the Raptors’ global ambassador in 2013. He helped make the team more popular worldwide.
- New Look: In 2015, the Raptors changed their logo and colors to black, silver, and red to better represent Toronto.
- We The North: This slogan started in 2014 to show pride in being the NBA’s only Canadian team. It’s a way for fans to come together.
- Helping Basketball Grow: The Raptors help the NBA reach people worldwide through the “Basketball Without Borders” program, which makes basketball more popular globally.
- Diverse Team: The Raptors have had players from many countries, showing how diverse Canada is. This includes stars like Jonas Valančiūnas from Lithuania, Pascal Siakam from Cameroon, and Serge Ibaka from the Republic of Congo.
- Cool Courts: They’ve had unique court designs, like a black and gold one for special “Drake Night” games.
- Jurassic Park: During the playoffs, fans watch the games outside Scotiabank Arena in a place called “Jurassic Park.” It’s full of energy and fun.
- Growing Talent: The Raptors are good at developing new players in their G League team, Raptors 905. Players like Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam started there and became important players for the Raptors.
These points show how the Toronto Raptors have become a big part of basketball in Canada and beyond. They’re known for their community spirit and diversity and for being a team that brings people together.
Font and Colors
The current version consists of a ball located in the center and two stripes around it – a wide inner and a narrow outer one. On the ball, instead of three lines, there are traces of claws from a velociraptor. There is no longer any sharpness in the emblem; all elements are streamlined.
In the original versions, the team’s name was poorly readable because the powerful figure of the dinosaur attracted attention. The letters were monolithic, almost solid, with sharp serifs at the edges. The letters “R” and “S” were larger than the other symbols. The current logo uses a different font – a chopped grotesque.
Officially, the Toronto Raptors’ corporate palette includes five colors according to the Pantone Color Matching System. Among them are white, black PMS Black, red 200, gold 872, and silver Cool Gray.
Toronto Raptors color codes
| Red | Hex color: | #ce1141 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 206 17 65 | |
| CMYK: | 0 100 65 15 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 200 C |
| Black | Hex color: | #000000 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 6 25 34 | |
| CMYK: | 30 0 0 100 | |
| Pantone: | PMS Black C |
| Silver | Hex color: | #a1a1a4 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 161 161 164 | |
| CMYK: | 0 1 0 43 | |
| Pantone: | PMS Cool Gray 8 C |
| Gold | Hex color: | #b4975a |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 180 151 90 | |
| CMYK: | 20 30 70 15 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 872 C |
FAQ
Why is “Toronto” called “Raptors”?
Initially, the team wanted to be called Huskies, but the leaders decided that, in this case, its logo would resemble the symbol of the Minnesota Timberwolves. To avoid inappropriate associations, they decided to hold a contest among fans. In the end, the Raptors won because, at that time, everyone had heard of the fantastic action movie “Jurassic Park” from 1993.
Will the “Raptors” change their logo?
The “Toronto Raptors” team already modified their logo for the 2020-2021 season, removing the outer contour in the form of a ring, repainting the silver part of the ball in red, and increasing the distance between the letters. Whether further changes are planned is not yet known.
What dinosaur is depicted on the “Toronto Raptors” logo?
Until 2015, the logo of the basketball club depicted a Tyrannosaurus Rex. After a global redesign, the animal was removed – only the trace of the claws hints at its presence.
When did the “Raptors” change their logo?
The last time the “Raptors” logo was updated was in the 2020-2021 season. Since the team was in the middle of the playoffs at the time, they did not immediately announce the changes.
