95 'til Infinity

Growing up, few things meant more to us than sports. Regardless of whether we were participating or spectating, sports gave us a chance to escape the world, express ourselves and imitate some of our favourite athletes. It gave us an experience to share with friends and grow closer with those who shared the same interest. 

Despite growing up in Canada, basketball always remained close to our hearts. There was only one team to support living in Ontario: The Toronto Raptors. We were too young to remember their founding year and first few seasons but you better believe we remember Vince Carter taking home the slam dunk title in 2000, or Mo Pete’s miraculous double-clutch game tying shot in 05-06, or winning our first playoff game in 5 seasons in 2007 with Chris Bosh, or...you get the point. All these moments, good or bad alike, stayed near and dear to our hearts as Raptors fans. 

The bumpy road we have endured as Raps fans came full circle in 2019 when the Raptors experienced a landmark year. In their 24th season as an NBA franchise, they had an unprecedented year that started with trading our franchise player DeMar Derozen for Kahwi Leonard, and ended with an NBA championship. In the span of 24 years, we went from being the laughing stock of the league located in a country no one wanted to play in, to being crowned world champions representing one of the greatest cities in the world.

Our 25th anniversary tee titled “95 ‘til Infinity” pays homage to the city of Toronto, The Toronto Raptors, and raps fans alike. As always, our tee was designed and manufactured locally in Toronto. Along with the tee, we’ve teamed up with local designer and lifelong Raptors fan Adam, the Ill-ustrator to create a 6-pack of custom Raps stickers, celebrating their beautiful 25 year history.

Without Black People, the Toronto Raptors, the NBA, as well as the game of basketball would not be what it is today. Without Black People, we wouldn’t be who we are today. We will be donating profits from the “95 ‘til Infinity” collection to the Black Legal Action Centre and the Black Health Alliance; both located here in Toronto. To learn more about the Black Legal Action Centre, the Black Health Alliance, and how you can personally contribute, please see the links below: 

https://www.blacklegalactioncentre.ca/

http://blackhealthalliance.ca/