Former Raptors player Tyler Hansbrough calls Toronto the "best city I ever lived in"

Former Toronto Raptors big man Tyler Hansbrough didn’t have an overly extended stay with the franchise, but it’s clear he made the most of his time with the team.

Hansbrough, who played 138 games for the Raptors spread across the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, showed his love for his former home on the Run Your Race podcast through Tidal League.

“Toronto is the most underrated NBA city out there,” Hansbrough said. “I tell people, man, Toronto’s the best city I’ve ever lived in. Really, it’s amazing. Their fans are unbelievable, even when they suck. They had some tough years there. I was laughing because when they got Kawhi [Leonard] I was like, if they win this damn thing they’re gonna do the unthinkable.”

Hansbrough, who won NCAA National Player of the Year in 2008 and a national championship in 2009 with North Carolina, never quite replicated his college success on the pro stage. But over an NBA career that also included stops with the Indiana Pacers and Charlotte Hornets, Hansbrough seemed to enjoy living in Toronto the most.

“It’s just like a general thought that Toronto may never win a championship because nobody wants to go back and forth through customs, it’s kind of a headache. They don’t ever get the credit they deserve, because they’re in Canada,” Hansbrough added.

“People associate the NBA with the US and they don’t really think of Canada, and Toronto’s at times overlooked but… their fans are amazing. And I was pulling for them when they won [the 2019 NBA championship] because they have an amazing fan base. Great people. Great city. So yeah, it’s the most underrated NBA city out there now.”

“Toronto is the best city I ever lived in. It’s amazing.” – former Raptor Tyler Hansbrough

via @TidalLeague pic.twitter.com/VSw7I93mLF

— Chris Walder (@WalderSports) October 31, 2023

Hansbrough averaged 4.2 points, four rebounds and 0.4 steals in 138 regular games for the Raptors in his career. While he was deeper down in the team’s rotation, he also played in seven playoff games for the team in 2014 and 2015 in first-round losses to the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards.

Hansbrough’s full interview is available below:

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