The 2018/19 season will be the start of the newest chapter for the Toronto Raptors as the team will have a new head coach for the first time since Jay Triano was the bench boss back in 2010/11.
The Raptors fired Dwane Casey on Friday after the team's playoff loss to the Cavaliers. Casey was an incredible coach and led the Raptors' franchise to new heights, but as the old saying goes, all good things come to an end.
Casey's time in Toronto didn't end without a "Thank You" letter to the city of Toronto, though, as the former Raptors coach reached out to the Toronto Star to thank the city for an incredible seven years.
Dear Toronto,
Thank you.
Thank you to basketball fans across this city and the country of Canada who supported the Raptors and welcomed my family with open arms during our seven years here. Thank you to all the fans who cheered us on at the Air Canada Centre while we built this program into a playoff contender, packed Jurassic Park even in the cold and rain, watched the games from home and offered their undying support as we traveled this road to relevancy together.
Thank you for teaching our all-American family the Canadian way. That being polite and considerate to one another is always the best way. That diversity is something to be embraced and celebrated. That taking the time to learn about each other’s cultures is the surest way to find common ground and understanding. Thank you for making our children feel safe, valued, and comfortable in their own skin. We cannot express how important it has been to build the foundations of who our children are as human beings in a country that shows through its words, actions and laws that all people deserve basic human rights, and a chance to reach their goals through education and hard work.
Coaches know that this is an industry built on change, and we willingly accept that reality. They say that “Home is not a place … it’s a feeling;” so thank you Toronto for making us feel at home here. Thank you for supporting our family, for offering us your friendship and for teaching us the Canadian way.
Farewell,
Dwane, Brenda, Justine & Zachary Casey
This isn't the entire letter from Casey, just some of it, so be sure to check out the entire letter here.
We think we speak for all Raptors fan when we say thank you Coach Casey for everything you did for this city on and off the court and we're looking forward to your return to Toronto to give you the ovation you deserve.
(H/T: Toronto Star)
