It is officially 2026. Somehow, we are still here, and the Toronto Raptors are still a basketball team that plays games in a building. Someone on the internet recently announced they collected every single player card for the 2025 to 2026 Raptors roster in a video game.
I find this commitment to be both impressive and slightly concerning. It is a lot of digital cardboard for a team that currently occupies a very specific space in my heart, right next to the part that remembers where I parked my car.
Digital Collecting and Physical Realities
Collecting things is a human instinct that I do not fully understand. My uncle once collected those little plastic bread tags for three years because he thought they would eventually become a form of currency in the north.
Building a full roster in a game feels similar. You spend all this time gathering Scottie Barnes and the rest of the group, only for the season to eventually end. Then you have to do it again, but with slightly different jerseys.
The 2025 to 2026 roster is an interesting choice for this kind of dedication. It is a team that exists in that hazy middle ground of professional sports. They are good enough to make you watch the first half, but sometimes you find yourself wondering if the laundry is done by the third quarter.
The Weight of Purple Polyester
People are also talking about the old jersey designs again. Specifically, they are asking which ones we prefer and what memories they bring up. Most of my memories involve static electricity and the way the old purple fabric felt against a t-shirt.
Someone asked if I have any "good or bad" memories of the old designs. I mostly remember Andrea Bargnani. He was a very tall man who liked to stand far away from the basket, much like a lighthouse that refused to help ships.
Choosing a favorite jersey is like choosing a favorite type of rain. One is classic, one is a bit flashy, but at the end of the day, you are still getting wet. I think the pinstripes from 1995 still hold a certain power, mainly because they remind me of a time when a dinosaur could be a professional logo without anyone asking questions.
The Infinite Loop of Fandom
We spend a lot of time looking backward at jerseys and forward at video game rosters. It is a way to avoid looking directly at the present, which is usually just a Tuesday night game against Charlotte.
The Raptors will keep playing, and we will keep buying things with their name on it. Whether it is a digital card or a vintage jersey with a slight mustard stain, it all serves the same purpose. It reminds us that we are part of something, even if that something is just a group of people hoping for a defensive stop.
I will probably keep my old jerseys in the closet. They do not fit as well as they used to, but neither does my optimism. It is all part of the process of being a fan in this city.