‘Everything happens for a reason’
New Raptors forward Anunoby thrilled to go 23rd overall
TORONTO The moment seemed innocuous enough.
OG Anunoby sprinted into the paint to grab a rebound against Penn State back in January, and when he planted his right foot, his long right leg buckled under him like a bent rubber boot.
The torn ACL ended Anunoby’s college career with the Indiana Hoosiers, and sent his draft stock plummeting. But the morning after the Toronto Raptors nabbed Anunoby 23rd overall, the 19-yearold preferred to look at the tumultuous last few months as if “everything happens for a reason.”
The six-foot-eight combo forward made his first appearance in Toronto on Friday before departing for Los Angeles to continuing to rehabilitate his knee with Raptors sports science guru Alex McKechnie.
His length, athleticism, and defensive versatility made Anunoby one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft, and the 19-year-old believes, had it not been for the knee injury, he would have gone “maybe top five.”
“Obviously if he doesn’t have that injury, I don’t think we have a shot,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said moments after the draft.
Anunoby spoke to reporters for a brief five minutes on Friday. Thrifty with his words, he answered several questions with a simple “yes” and “no.”
His brother Chigbo, who’s older by nine years and came along with Anunoby to check out his new basketball home, did some of the speaking for him.
“I know his demeanour is kind of the same throughout, but trust me, he is happy,” Chigbo said. “He was relieved when Toronto called his name. That was where he wanted to be.
“This injury might even be a blessing . . . . He fell to a great team, a great organization. A team that might not have been able to take him if he was healthy. Everything might have played out ultimately.”
Anunoby was born in London to Nigerian parents. The brothers played several sports growing up, including soccer. They’re both huge Arsenal fans.
“He was a great wide receiver. He played baseball too,” said Chigbo, a defensive tackle who’s been signed by several NFL teams, including Cleveland and Minnesota, but hasn’t yet played a regular-season game. “He did everything but he chose basketball. I believe whatever sport he would have chosen he would have made it. That’s the kind of athlete he is. He picked what he wanted and he took off.”
Anunoby arrived at Indiana unheralded, ranked outside the top 250 by NCAA recruiting services. The snub was a constant motivation.
“I always carried a chip on my shoulder to prove I was better than people thought,” said Anunoby. “Make them regret it.” TORONTO Coach John Herdman is a step closer to his goal of taking the Canadian women’s soccer team to the top.
Canada has moved up one spot to No. 4 in the new FIFA women’s world rankings, matching its all-time high first achieved last year.
The U.S. reclaimed top spot, dropping Germany to No. 2. France remained at No. 3. Canada vaulted over England, which dropped to No. 5.
The Canadian women, who won bronze last summer in Rio, are 6-2-1 this year. That record includes a win over Sweden, which fell three spots to No. 9 — its lowest-ever ranking — in the new list.