DAMON STOUDAMIRE

1997-1998 was a season of turmoil for the Toronto Raptors in which Isiah Thomas, the mastermind behind the Raptors organization, resigned as Vice-President and General Manager of the franchise after an unsuccessful attempt to buy out Raptors majority owner Allan Slaight. The departure of Stoudamire's mentor, in conjunction with Damon's impending free agency, forced new GM Glen Grunwald to trade the star point guard, along with Walt Williams and Carlos Rogers, to Portland for Kenny Anderson, Alvin Williams, and Gary Trent. As expected, Kenny Anderson refused to report to the Raptors and was subsequently dealt to the Boston Celtics along with Popeye Jones and Zan Tabak in exchange for rookie point guard Chauncy Billups, Dee Brown, Roy Rogers, and John Thomas. Stoudamire's trade was accompanied by the resignation of tempermental head coach Darrell Walker, and occurred just days after the Toronto Maple Leafs' purchase of the Raptors, which effectively ended the long-running Raptors-Leafs arena controversy.

At the end of the 1998 season, the Raptors found themselves back at square one of the rebuiding process. Recent trades for veteran power forwards Charles Oakley and Kevin Willis have added much-needed toughness and experience in the frontcourt. Vince Carter, the 5th overall draft pick, adds athleticism and scoring to the team, and should complement his cousin Tracy McGrady who showed occassional flashes of brilliance in his first NBA season out of high school. Most importantly, the new ownership and next year's scheduled opening of the new Air Canada Centre has lent the franchise a stability it has not enjoyed since Slaight invoked the shotgun clause on ownership partner John Bitove. Still, in the aftermath of a tumultuous season, the new-look Raptors seem a shadow of their former selves. Once guided by the dynamic leadership of the charismatic Isiah Thomas, the Raptors are now ruled by the steady, if unassuming, Glen Grunwald. Where Damon Stoudamire once orchestrated the Raptors offence Chauncy Billups now presides. With patience and prudent management, the Raptors may yet develop into a successful team in the highly competitive world of the NBA. Until that time, however, one cannot help wondering what might have been...

This is a summary of Damon Stoudamire's rookie season that was written before his trade to the Portland Trailblazers:

Damon Stoudamire is the cornerstone player of the Toronto Raptors franchise. Selected seventh overall by Vice-President of Basketball Operations Isiah Thomas with the first entry draft pick in Raptors history, Damon was greeted with boos from the Skydome crowd, who favoured Ed O'Bannon of the 1995 NCAA champion UCLA Bruins. Unfazed, Stoudamire vowed that by season's end, Toronto fans would know the name Damon Stoudamire. As a rookie Stoudamire proceeded to tear up the league, leading the Raptors to impressive wins over the Chicago Bulls, the Seattle Supersonics, and the New York Knicks in their inaugural season. Against Michael Jordan and the Bulls, Damon scored a then-career high 30 points handing Chicago its 8th loss in what was to become a record-breaking 72 win season.

Stoudamire shone at the NBA Rookie-All-Star game, scoring 19 points and dishing out 11 assists and winning the game MVP award. He has represented the United States internationally at the Goodwill Games and the World University Games. Damon was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, where he led Wilson High School to a 74-4 record and two state championships over four years. He played his college ball at the University of Arizona where he was a three-time All-PAC-10 selection. In his junior year, he and Khalid Reeves formed the nation's premier collegiate backcourt duo. In 1994 Stoudamire and Reeves led the Wildcats to the Final Four by defeating Missouri in the West Regional Final.

Damon Stoudamire player files: