Previewing the 2017/2018 Toronto Raptors on Twitter

The new @NBA season tips off on October 17 and Twitter will once again be home to premium content for the league’s top players, teams and fans, including the Toronto Raptors (@Raptors).

As one of only four Canadian professional sports teams with more than 1,000,000 Twitter followers (the @BlueJays, @MapleLeafs and @CanadiensMTL being the other three), the @Raptors trends regularly across Canada each @NBA season. Look for that pattern to continue in 2017/2108 as the @Raptors look to make the postseason for the fifth consecutive year.

The @Raptors also also home to several of Toronto’s most followed athletes, attracting audiences from across the planet to the team and the city.

These are the 10 most-followed athletes currently under contract with Toronto pro sports teams

1. Jozy Altidore (@JozyAltidore), Toronto FC
2. Serge Ibaka (@sergeibaka), Toronto Raptors
3. Josh Donaldson (@BringerOfRain20), Toronto Blue Jays
4. Kyle Lowry (@Klow7), Toronto Raptors
5. DeMar DeRozan (@DeMar_DeRozan), Toronto Raptors
6. Marcus Stroman (@MStrooo6), Toronto Blue Jays
7. Kevin Pillar (@KPILLAR4), Toronto Toronto Blue Jays
8. Russell Martin (@russellmartin55), Toronto Blue Jays
9. James van Riemsdyk (@JVReemer21), Toronto Maple Leafs
10. Nazem Kadri (@43_Kadri), Toronto Maple Leafs

Since joining Twitter in September 2009, the @Raptors have amassed more than 1,500,000 followers, which put them in the upper half of the most followed teams in the @NBA. Amongst their followers are many famous names, including:

• Musicians such as top Canadian talents Shawn Mendes (@ShawnMendes) and Arkells (@arkellsmusic) plus international stars such as Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg), Boy George (@BoyGeorge) and French Montana (@FrencHMonTanA)
• Actors such as Suits’ Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) and Ghost Wars’ Avan Jogia (@AvanJogia)
• Canadian digital creators such as Lilly Singh (@IISuperwomanII), McFly (@ThatDudeMCFLY) and Jus Reign (@JusReign)
• Current Toronto Blue Jays such as Marcus Stroman (@MStrooo6) and Josh Donaldson (@BringerOfRain20) plus team legends Jose Bautista (@JoeyBats19), Joe Carter (@JoeCarter_29), Roberto Alomar (@Robbiealomar) and Jesse Barfield (@JesseBarfield29)
• Canadian Olympic heroes Clara Hughes (@ClaraHughes), Damian Warner (@DamianWarner), Penny Oleksiak (@OleksiakPenny) and Adam van Koeverden (@vankayak)

The team is also followed by a unique trio of former child stars: Willis from Diff’rent Strokes (@ToddBridges), Snake from Degrassi Jr. High (@stefanbrogren) and Sabrina the Teenage Witch (@MelissaJoanHart)

The @Raptors and their iconic #WeTheNorth hashtag trend heavily each @NBA season with decided spikes of conversation during recent postseason runs. These are the three most Retweeted postseason Tweets in history that feature the #WeTheNorth hashtag: 

Follow @Raptors, top players and the #WeTheNorth hashtag during the 2017/2018 @NBA season to see the latest highlights, reactions and best basketball content.