Wiltjer shines for Raptors on stage where dad once starred
VICTORIA The Toronto Raptors’ intrasquad game Thursday night was a virtual history lesson for Canadian Kyle Wiltjer.
Held on the same University of Victoria campus where his dad Greg once starred, Wiltjer posed for photos with UVic’s legendary coach Ken Shields, who guided his father. UVic staff showed him trading cards and team photos that featured his dad.
“It’s like coming full circle,” Wiltjer said.
“I was on the phone with my dad and he said it was like deja vu seeing me here (at UVic). Most importantly, my grandpa (John, who lives just north of Victoria in Duncan) got to watch me play. He hasn’t seen me play in a long time.
“It’s fun, especially being for the Toronto Raptors, other side of the country, it’s cool to get over here and see the fans, because they’re super passionate.”
The six-foot-10, 24-year-old three-point specialist is battling for a job with the Raptors, and padded his job application Thursday night by draining five threes in a 17-point performance.
With the league’s continuing evolution into a long-range shooting league, and after the Raptors were badly outshot by Cleveland in last season’s playoffs, Toronto is looking to beef up its three-point production.
And so Wiltjer and fellow Canadian Andy Rautins, also a lightsout shooter, earned training camp invites.
Rautins had four threes on Thursday night in front of a jampacked crowd of 2,700 fans.
Coach Dwane Casey laughed when a reporter noted the two shooters were Canadian.
“I don’t know what country they’re from. I don’t care if they’re from the moon,” Casey said.
“Kyle shot the ball very well, Andy shot the ball very well.
“They executed our shot spectrum. Our ball movement was good.”
Wiltjer actually grew up in Portland and has dual citizenship, but the family made regular trips up the coast to Vancouver Island to visit his grandparents.
Greg Wiltjer played with Rautins’ dad Leo on Canada’s national team. Kyle Wiltjer jokingly tweeted on Raptors’ media day: “I bet good money Andy and I would outshoot you and my dad @LeoRautins #snipers.”
Greg Wiltjer played on Canada’s team at the 1984 Olympics against a U.S. team featuring Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing. He won a national university title with UVic before playing professionally in Europe for 12 years.
He was easily the biggest influence in his young son’s burgeoning basketball career.
“Being at an early age, just getting the ball in my hands, ever since I can remember he was always working me out growing up,” Wiltjer said of his dad.
The younger Wiltjer went on to win an NCAA title with Kentucky before switching to Gonzaga. His visit to the White House with the victorious 2012 Wildcats was partly what prompted a tweet about U.S. President Donald Trump.
After Steph Curry said he wouldn’t visit the White House, Trump tweeted that he was rescinding the Golden State Warriors’ invitation.
“It’s a shame that some of these amazing players have to miss out on this opportunity because of the ignorance of the man that is now in charge,” Wiltjer wrote. “Respect to UNC and Golden State for standing up for the values they believe in.”
As the Raptors wrapped up training camp Friday before boarding a flight to Honolulu, he reflected on the political climate in the U.S.
“It’s pretty crazy being up in Canada, it seems like we’re kind of away from it,” Wiltjer said.
“But obviously my family is from the States, and right now it’s just tough. People need to be together, and that’s the one thing for myself is I’m not in it, but I have a voice.
“It’s unfortunate that things are going down right now.” Wiltjer called meeting former president Barack Obama, who knew every Kentucky player by name, “one of the best experiences of my life.”
Wiltjer went on to play 14 games last season for the Houston Rockets, totalling 13 points and 10 rebounds. He starred for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League, scoring a combined 43 points in Games 1 and 2 of the league finals — eventually won by Raptors 905.
I don’t know what country they’re from. I don’t care if they’re from the moon.