If you are reading this post, odds are you remember Morris Peterson as more of a Michigan State player than for his time in the NBA. However, ‘Mo’ Peterson had a very solid NBA career, spending seven seasons with the Toronto Raptors. Because of his time spent in ‘the North,’ Peterson now considers himself a ‘Raptor for life’ and is taking time to celebrate and bask in their championship win.
Peterson was one of nine Raptors who was celebrated before game one of the NBA Finals as one of the foundations of the organization. The Raptors very much see this title win as the culmination of something they have been building towards since the late ’90s, and their selection of Peterson in the 2000 NBA draft was part of that progression.
The Raptors win meant a lot for Peterson, now 41:
“Oh, man, I’m a Raptor for life. I’m an honorary Canadian. For me, coming out of college, coming to Toronto, being drafted as this 22-year-old kid, that city really embraced me and took me with open arms. To me, family is important. From that day that they embraced me, they’ve been stuck with me. I was a young kid coming to town, now I’m “Uncle Mo.” I got a chance to have, to really have, a lot of good relationships with some of the fans. They were just getting into basketball. It was new to the city. So I got a chance to grow with a lot of people.”
You can read the full interview with Peterson by the Lansing State Journal’s Graham Couch here.
