Jose Calderon is disappointed his tenure with the Toronto Raptors has come to an end.
The Spanish point guard spoke to Eric Smith and Paul Jones after he found out he was being traded to the Detroit Pistons in a three-team trade on Wednesday.
“It’s tough to leave behind all your friends,” Calderon told Smith and Jones. “We just found out. They told us right here when everything was confirmed.”
He appeared distraught that he will be leaving the one franchise he’s known since he entered the NBA.
“It’s been my home for eight years,” Calderon said. “I did everything possible for this team. The fans have been with me since Day 1. That’s why it’s tough.”
“The fans have been with me since day 1, so it’s tough to leave.”- Calderon, choking back tears, before he left the arena.#Raptors #RTZ
— Eric Smith (@Eric__Smith) January 30, 2013
“Like I said, hopefully this team is back to playoffs as soon as possible.”
Calderon, who was the longest-serving player on the roster, has been on the Raptors since the 2005-06 season. He will become a free agent after the season.
In 525 games with the franchise, he averaged 10.0 points, and 7.2 assists per game.
Both @eddavis32 & @josemcalderon8 are/were total class acts as MEN let alone as players.I wish them both all the best & a ton of success
— Eric Smith (@Eric__Smith) January 31, 2013
