Toronto Raptors unveil new logo that looks similar to a division rival's

Two days after Drake promised fans would be “floored with what we have in store” the Toronto Raptors unveiled their new logo, and the early reviews are not overly positive.

The Raptors gave a sneak peak at the logo in the latest ‘We The North’ commercial.

The official logo was later revealed on Instagram and Facebook. On Facebook an alternative version with a red circle and grey basketball was posted and quickly removed.

The team had been promising a rebrand since naming rapper Drake the team’s “global ambassador” last year. The new look, with expected new uniforms and colours, will go into full rotation next season. The Raptors also host the NBA All-Star Game in 2016.

Take social media criticism for what it is, but fans and pundits appear underwhelmed by the new look – certainly not “floored.” One positive is that the long-lamented purple dinosaur of the last 20 years is now gone. But keen observers pointed out the striking similarity between the new Raptors logo and the Brooklyn Nets logo – which is less than three years old after themselves rebranding following a move from New Jersey to Brooklyn in 2012. The Nets themselves poked fun at the resemblance.

There were some voices of reason, however.

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