Basketball
How Pascal Siakam has become one of the greatest Toronto Raptors ever
Pascal Siakam has proven himself to be in the same conversation as legends Vince Carter, Kyle Lowry, and DeMar DeRozan as one of the best players to ever rep a Raps jersey.
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Player movement is at an all-time high in the NBA, with everyone from journeymen to superstars moving teams with regularity. But within that movement-heavy ecosystem, Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam has managed to stay still.
Since being drafted 27th overall in 2016 and debuting on opening night, Siakam has become the longest-tenured member of the Toronto Raptors, with 524 games under his belt. He leads the current team in games played for the franchise, minutes played, field goals made, free throws made, points, rebounds, and even triple-doubles.
Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors
© Charlie Lindsay
While Siakam’s incredible rise from Duala, Cameroon to an NBA Champion has been well documented, what Siakam has already done for Canada’s lone NBA franchise should not be overlooked. The 29-year-old forward is the best player on the Raptors and is very quickly becoming one of the greatest players in the franchise’s 28-year history, chasing names like Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan for the title.
But where does Siakam currently rank among all-time great Raptors? How has his play and off-court philanthropy helped forge a strong bond between himself and the fanbase?
And, given that Siakam is just entering his basketball prime, how long will it take him to reach the top of the Raptors' all-time leaderboards at his current pace? Only time will tell, but given what we’ve witnessed already it won’t be long.
01
From Rookie to Two-Time NBA All-Star
Dive into everything Pascal Siakam
Siakam has accumulated a lot of accolades in his seven seasons as a Raptor despite being a late bloomer. He didn’t start games until his third season and wasn’t a primary scoring option until his fourth. But now, he’s a two-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, the 2019 Most Improved Player, and was one of the best players on the 2019 Championship team — the only championship in Toronto Raptors franchise history.
Pascal Siakam on court with Rico Hines
© Charlie Lindsay
But when it comes to the Raptors’ all-time record books, Lowry is still the man to catch. Widely considered the greatest Raptor of all time, Lowry spent nine seasons with the franchise and led them in assists, three-point field goals, steals, triple-doubles, and, perhaps most importantly, the catch-all statistic win-shares. In fact, Lowry led the team in win-shares for a record five different seasons, while Siakam has done it in each of the previous two.
Meanwhile, when it comes to pure time and scoring-related metrics, DeRozan has set himself apart after also playing nine seasons in Toronto, where he was almost always the primary option. DeRozan leads the Raptors in games played, minutes played, field goals, free throws, and, of course, points.
02
The Stats Don’t Lie
What’s unique about Siakam is that he ranks near the top of the Raptors' all-time leaderboards in all types of stats, including defensive-oriented ones such as rebounding and steals and offensive ones such as assists and points.
After all, Siakam is a modern “point-forward” who can toggle between running a pick-and-roll with the ball in his hand on one possession to spotting up in the corner on the next to posting up and spinning his way to the bucket on the next. Plus, he is a rangy forward who covers a lot of ground on defence, guards multiple positions, and rebounds with the best of them.
With that being said, it’s no wonder that Siakam finds himself near the top of the list in most statistical categories:
- 6th in games played
- 7th in minutes played
- 5th in field goals
- 4th in two-point field goals
- 5th in free-throws
- 2nd in triple-doubles
- 3rd in rebounds
- 7th in assists
- 5th in points
- 7th in win-shares
These are pretty impressive numbers given Siakam’s relatively short tenure with the franchise. Add in the fact that he came to Toronto as the 27th overall pick as an unheralded prospect from a mid-major school in New Mexico State with almost no expectations, and it’s borderline unbelievable that Siakam has already made it this far as a Raptor.
03
A Look Into the Future of Pascal Siakam
So, how long will it take Siakam to reach the top of the Raptors' all-time leaderboards at his current pace? Last season, Siakam averaged 37.4 minutes through 71 games. He scored 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists while making 8.9 field goals and 5.2 free throws per game, with a season total of 7.8 win shares.
Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors
© Charlie Lindsay
Fun facts about Pascal Siakam
If Siakam were to manage those regular season averages for two more seasons, giving him nine seasons as a Raptor — the same number as Lowry and DeRozan — he would rank as the following in each of these major statistical categories:
- 2nd all-time in regular season games played (613)
- 2nd in field goals made (4,298)
- 2nd in rebounds (4,190)
- 2nd in points (11,450)
- 3rd in minutes played (19,736)
- 3rd in assists (2,486)
- 3rd in win-shares (56.6)
- 4th in free-throws made (2,187)
Add in a third season and Siakam would rank No. 1 in nearly all of the major categories. Not bad for someone who didn’t even start for their first two seasons in the league.
04
One of the Best On and Off the Court
While Siakam’s rapid ascent up the Raptors' all-time leaderboards is impressive, it’s not the only thing that has endeared him to the fans in Toronto and Canada, where he has quickly become one of the country’s most popular athletes; It’s also the fact that Siakam constantly gives back to the community he now calls home.
Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors
© Charlie Lindsay
Siakam’s non-profit organization, the PS43 Foundation, launched in April 2021 with the goal of inspiring young people to believe that they can achieve anything they put their minds to through education and the same family values that Siakam himself was raised with.
The foundation is inspired by his late father and his commitment to learning and providing access to education. In fact, the Foundation is rooted in the family by its name: Forty-three is Siakam’s jersey number, representing the four men (his father and three brothers) and three women (his mother and two sisters) of his family.
“My late father believed that education was a key aspect of life that no one could take away from you,” Siakam explained. “With that in mind, I knew I had to give back to the youth through education.”
“My late father believed that education was a key aspect of life that no one could take away from you”
Siakam uses the foundation to give back to the younger generation in Canada and in his native Cameroon. Since 2021, the PS43 Foundation has launched several impactful initiatives including Coding for Champions, a program aiming to bridge the digital divide and encourage young people to pursue technological education by learning computer science-based skills such as coding and programming. They also handed out free laptops to 150 female students in one of Toronto’s most underserved areas.
The Foundation also gave a generous donation to the Lincoln Alexander School of Law at the Toronto Metropolitan University, allowing 12 law students to gain meaningful, paid work experience with organizations working towards positive social change. They also launched a partnership with the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, which included a $100,000 donation to help provide for the rehabilitating patients.
Pascal Siakam
© Charlie Lindsay
Siakam also started his own basketball camp back home in Cameroon, called Skills Académie. The Académie aims to bring joy and inspiration to kids in his native country while nurturing a love of basketball for the next generation. Each summer, participants improve their skills through basketball clinics run by coaches and former NBA players.
Siakam’s off-court endeavours also include being a member of the Jr. NBA Canada Advisory Board, which supports Raptors President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri’s non-profit Giants of Africa and their initiatives. He also works with NBA Africa and the Basketball Without Borders camps. Siakam received the NBA Cares Community Assist Award in 2019 and was named Right to Play’s 2019 Athlete Hero for his philanthropic efforts.
05
A Jurassic Journey That’s Only Just Begun
All in all, Siakam’s impressive play has enabled him to quickly shoot up the Raptors' all-time leaderboards, while his passion off the court has further endeared him to both Raptors fans and the entire Canadian community.
In just seven seasons as a Raptor, Pascal Siakam has forged a bond with the fanbase in a way that very few athletes have managed before. You’ll find fans of all ages and backgrounds repping #43 Raptors jerseys from coast-to-coast to prove it.
And he’s not done yet.
This summer, we’re bringing the Siakam experience to basketball courts across the country with Siakam’s World. It’s coming to a city near you between August 1st and September 30th, 2023, and you’ll have a chance to win a VIP Toronto Raptors game experience and see Spicy P play.