We know that current Raptors Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are putting on a show for Team USA, and that teammate Jonas Valanciunas’ bruising low-post act is once again front-and-centre on the Lithuanian national team. But did you know there are also seven former Raptors also competing in Rio? As you’ll see, it’s a bit of a Who’s Who of “who?” In any event, here’s a look at how they’re faring thus far:
DAVID ANDERSEN
The Australian centre and Tom Green look-alike (no, seriously, it’s uncanny) spent just two seasons in the NBA, including an 11-game span in Toronto during the 2010-11 season before he was traded along with Jarrett Jack and Marcus Banks to the New Orleans Hornets for Peja Stojakovic and Jerryd Bayless.
Andersen had a standout international hoops career before coming to the NBA, and at age 36 is still playing professionally. A solid big man who could stretch the floor before it was practically a requirement in the sport, Andersen has seen most of his minutes backing up Andrew Bogut in Rio. His best performance came in Australia’s impressive outing versus the United States, where he dropped 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the field (incl. 1-for-1 behind the arc).
LEANDRO BARBOSA
A key contributor for a Brazilian team that already upset no.2 ranked Spain, Barbosa’s career renaissance is continuing from where it left off during the 2016 playoffs with Golden State.
While he looked to be headed toward the tail end of his career when he came to the Raptors ahead of the 2010-11 season (in a kind gesture Barbosa was traded to playoff-bound Indiana in the following season), the 33 year-old has looked flat-out spry for the Brazilians in front of his home crowd, averaging nearly 14 ppg over his first three games, including 21 points in his Rio Olympic debut versus Lithuania.
JOSE CALDERON
A bona fide fan favourites and the franchise leader in assists (3, 770, or 1,782 more than Kyle Lowry, the next name on the list) and second in total games played, much like his Toronto tenure Calderon has been a steady hand for the Spanish national team his entire career.
On a team with a deep backcourt, however, the 34 year-old has hardly seen the floor thus far in the tournament, averaging just 3.5 minutes per game (he sat out Spain’s loss to Croatia entirely). When he has played, he’s struggled, posting a -11 in six minutes of action against Nigeria.
NANDO de COLO
Traded to the Raptors from the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Austin Daye back in 2013-14, that season proved to be de Colo’s last in the NBA. He appeared in 21 games for the Raptors, averaging just 3.1 points in 9 minutes per game.
But since departing the Raptors and the NBA, the native of France has been one of the EuroLeague’s top players, earning MVP and Final Four MVP honours this past season while leading CSKA Moscow to a championship. In a France jersey he’s been just as impressive, named MVP of the recent pre-Olympic qualifying tourney in Manila.
In Rio, de Colo hasn’t slowed, leading all French scorers with 15.7 points per game, including a tourney-high 22 points against Serbia in his most recent game.
CARLOS DELFINO
Delfino played all 82 games in his lone season with the Raptors in 2007-08, averaging nine points in 23.5 minutes off the bench, helping Toronto to the playoffs for the second straight season.
But Delfino’s biggest on-court successes have come with the Argentian national team. He was a member of the 2004 gold-medal team, as well as the one that won bronze in 2008. This time around, Delfino appears to be brushing past a slow start to the Olympic tournament, increasing his shooting percentage with each game, most recently posting 10 points on 44.4 per cent shooting.
ROKO UKIC
A 6-foot-5 point guard, maybe I’m misremembering things, but there seemed to be a more excitement around Ukic than a typical second-round pick draws when the Raptors selected the Croatian with the 41st pick of the 2005 draft.
Ukic was one of the more promising prospects in Europe at the time, and while his talents never really materialized in the NBA (he ultimately played two seasons, one with the Raptors and the other with the Bucks, both forgettable), he went on to have a strong career in Europe and plays a big role on the Croatian national team, where he starts at point guard and is averaging 23.3 minutes per game. He was solid in Croatia’s upset over Spain earlier in the tourney, registering 8 points and 7 rebounds, while adding a pair of steals for good measure.
BEN UZOH
You may remember Uzoh as the point guard whose triple-double on April 26th, 2012 in the final game of the Raptors’ season may have cost Toronto the 7th pick (who turned out to be Harrison Barnes) in that year’s draft, in which the Raps ultimately selected Terrence Ross.
Uzoh had a strong performance in a pre-Olympic exhibition tune-up versus Team USA, but has struggled thus far in Rio, shooting 36 per cent from the field and averaging 3.3 assists in nearly 20 minutes per game.