In the middle of Toronto’s inaugural season, rookie point guard Damon Stoudamire gave fans a glimpse of just how special he could be. On March 26, 1996, against a playoff-bound Hawks team, he strung together one of the flashiest sequences of the year: behind-the-back dribble into a spin move, a no-look fake that froze the defense, and a floater that dropped clean. Stoudamire finished with 30 points and 12 assists, slicing through traps and pushing pace all night. The Raptors came up short, but their first-ever draft pick looked completely at home. That season, he averaged 19 and 9, won Rookie of the Year, and laid the foundation for basketball in Canada—one fearless move at a time. · Mar 27, 1996