What the Raptors roster got up to during the off-season
The Raptors’ 2016 season ended with a whimper, but that doesn’t mean the city won’t be excited when the team returns to the court against Chicago tonight. Here’s how they stayed happy, healthy, and well fed in the off-season.
DeMar DeRozan led his alma mater’s football team onto the field last month.
NBA All-Star and @USC_Hoops alum @DeMar_DeRozan leads the Trojans out of the tunnel before their battle against Stanford! #FightOn pic.twitter.com/aNSKseHTkn
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) September 10, 2017
And he racked up highlights in the Drew League in Los Angeles:
Mid range king DeMar still showing them how he does at #TheDrew #RTZ pic.twitter.com/aBkXkvbrJg
— Raptorr (@Raptornian) July 1, 2017
The Drew is a mixture of competitive amateurs and professionals. DeRozan got a little heated during one game:
Here he is dunking on James Harden:
DeMar is lowkey a #TheDrew legend already
(? via @drewleague)pic.twitter.com/o1bH2amP24
— Raptorr (@Raptornian) July 1, 2017
And on Skip Bayless:
You’re a clown for that tweet after a man gets hurt with a potential career ending injury! Shit bigger then basketball!
— DeMar DeRozan (@DeMar_DeRozan) October 18, 2017
He also hosted a bunch of lucky kids in British Columbia:
Finishing up the day with @DeMar_DeRozan judging the best jersey contest, spoiler alert, USC won pic.twitter.com/HKs9X3zMXT
— LangleyEventsCentre (@LangleyEvents) August 9, 2017
…where the Raptors trained during the off-season. That’s newly-acquired CJ Miles:
By the way, anyone looking for an antidote to the poisonous swamp water of Twitter should check out Miles on Instagram, where he posed for a baby announcement:
Professed his love for his wife:
Did pilates:
And got excited over dental surgery:
He and the missus appear to have spent some time in Hawaii:
Kyle Lowry went travelling, too—to South Africa:
And to Philadelphia, his hometown, where his foundation was giving out school supplies:
He also passed out food for (Canadian) Thanksgiving.
KLow and family assisting on & off the court. #LowrysThanksgivingAssist pic.twitter.com/vasCPZ5bwk
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) October 7, 2017
Happy ???wkd to all my Canucks, esp the 300 families that always give MORE to me and my fam every year at #LowrysThanksgivingAssist #Blessed pic.twitter.com/ujQ9bkxb9U
— Kyle Lowry (@Klow7) October 8, 2017
Jonas Valančiūnas had a terrible time in the fresh air and sun:
He played in the 2017 EuroBasket for Lithuania:
He also spent some time with a new family member:
And went fishing:
And showed off his sweet whip:
Jonas Valanciunas arrived to Lithuania National Team camp with Audi 80 (1992) pic.twitter.com/IabPEH0Z5D
— Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) July 21, 2017
And he managed to squeeze in a quick visit with the president of Lithuania, who gave him an umbrella badge to commemorate his participation in a public safety campaign:
He also got a ceremonial jar of what appears to be honey:
Sports are weird. Welcome back, everybody!