[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJZsflunHYQ w=640 h=360]

Here in Toronto, having Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and Charles Oakley on a talk show to reminisce about playing together was a big deal. I wish it had been an hour-long special so they could have gone into a bit more depth, but it was still a fascinating watch for those who remember the days when the Raptors were relevant.

The most noteworthy part of the show, to me, was McGrady saying “there’s no question” that they would have advanced to the Finals in 2001 if he’d stayed. He called it “the perfect situation” with “the perfect chemistry,” breaking host Michael Landsberg’s heart as he looked back on watching Game 7 of the Philly series with his son. It kind of broke my heart, too — even though I wouldn’t call myself a “fan” of the Raptors or any one NBA team at this point, I was DEFINITELY a fan in every sense of the word back then. When Carter missed that corner three in Philly, I was beyond crushed. And at that point, I hated McGrady for leaving. I was 13 when T-Mac chose Orlando, but I’d seen every game of his career and could sense that perfect chemistry. It was obvious he was headed toward stardom and I saw no good reason why couldn’t continue his ascent here with his cousin. In my mind, they could have developed into of the best wing tandems ever and, with the proper talent around them, led a championship-winning team. I thought it was stupid that he left and I thought he duped the franchise by making them think they had a shot to keep him when he’d already made his mind up.

Here’s the thing: 13-year-old fans aren’t likely to see the whole picture. McGrady was just 21 and he wanted to play at home. He wanted the warm weather. Yeah, he’d be leaving his star cousin, but he’d be (theoretically) playing with superduperstar Grant Hill. I questioned his loyalty, but I’m not sure how loyal I’d be if I was just a couple of seasons removed from playing for a coach who belittled me and told the media I’d be out of the league in three years. On top of that, the coach who had given McGrady his chance had just been ousted, after an impressive display of self-destruction where he lashed out at ownership, sued an opposing player in the middle of a playoff series, and asked for the title of GM during his year-end evaluation. Going to Orlando wasn’t crazy and as a free agent he didn’t owe the Raptors anything.

Even now, I get embarrassingly nostalgic when watching old Raptors highlights. I’m thankful to have grown up with the franchise — my family moved here a few months before its first game — and it was amazing to see these two young talents up close when they were developing. It was gratifying when the city fell in love with Vince and basketball started gathering momentum. It was downright painful when the team fell apart and Toronto and Vince, uh, broke up. Even if T-Mac wouldn’t say he regretted going to Orlando, hearing both of them say they think about what it would have been like here almost made me scream. As Carter said, there are no guarantees, but we could have seen a few more years of something pretty special. We could have seen two of the most talented, athletic wing players on the planet throwing each other more alley-oops. With today’s perspective, it’s naive as hell to say that they would have won championships, but man, those two in their primes? It would have been fun.