Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #34, Cory Joseph, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #34, Cory Joseph, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan

Cory Joseph (left), Kyle Lowry (middle) and DeMar DeRozan Photographs: DeRozan and Lowry by Reuters; Joseph by CP Images

Cory Joseph, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan

Toronto Raptors

34They carried the Raptors to their best playoff finish ever and, along the way, earned the respect of LeBron James, who praised DeRozan’s dunking skills and Toronto’s “unbelievable” fans. Regular-season games averaged 19,825 spectators, more than the ACC’s official capacity, while playoff games broke franchise records—and that doesn’t include the thousands of diehards watching outside in Jurassic Park. They’re doing what Vince Carter did more than a decade ago: inspiring a generation of young ballers and reminding the league that Toronto is for real.

Side gigs:

DeRozan and Lowry took home Olympic gold for the U.S. in Rio.

Toronto's Most Influential People of 2016