Hello and Welcome

Will sits down with legendary Raptors announcer Chuck Swirsky to discuss being honored for the team’s 30th-anniversary season, his early days with the franchise, and his first impressions of Jack Armstrong. Chuck also shares why calling Vince Carter’s first game in Toronto as a New Jersey Net was the toughest broadcast of his career, along with other Raptors memories from the past three decades. R...

Will Lou and Alex Wong go live at the conclusion of the Toronto Raptors' 111-91 loss against the Indiana Pacers. They discuss the Raptors' rookie struggles against the Pacers, then discuss the Lakers-Mavs game, and finally, they unveil the surprising name behind PJ Tucker. Three stars: Immanuel Quickley, Jonathan Mogbo, Orlando Robinson Gerald Henderson award: RayJ Dennis (???) #raptors #nba #pace...

Will Lou and Alex Wong break down the Toronto Raptors' 111-101 loss to the Boston Celtics. They discuss Scottie Barnes' two-way intensity in leading the team, but the Raptors don't have answers for Boston's 3-point shooting. They also share tidbits from the Raptors' annual media run. Here is Will's feature on Chris Boucher's longevity with the Raptors: https://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2025/02/24/af...

Will Lou goes solo after the conclusion of Toronto Raptors' 127-109 win over the Phoenix Suns. He breaks down the Raptors' sudden avalanche of threes in crunch time from Chris Boucher, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett. Then, he credits Scottie Barnes for his defensive work against Kevin Durant, and discusses the maturation of Barnes as a leader this season. Three stars: Chris Boucher, Immanuel Qu...

Host Will Lou goes live to discuss the Toronto Raptors' 120-111 OT loss to the Miami Heat. He breaks down RJ Barrett's clutch scoring, and why this was a perfect tank loss that will set the tone for the rest of the season. Then, Alex Wong and Jerome Cheng join the show to discuss the NHL's 4 Nation's Face-Off format, and banter about their favorite hockey moments. #nba #raptors #nhl Three stars: R...

Will and Alex go live from San Francisco to break down what the NBA needs to change after a thoroughly underwhelming 2025 All-Star Weekend. They explain that the entire All-Star Weekend process is not focused on basketball, and that there are simply too many distractions to make the actual game and events meaningful. They also offer changes that they want to see in future All-Star Weekends, and th...

Will and Alex break down All-Star Saturday Night from Chase Center, highlighting Mac McClung’s jaw-dropping dunk contest performance and why NBA stars continue to avoid challenging him. They also discuss Steph Curry’s absence from the three-point shootout, Gelo’s live performance, Chris Paul’s questionable tactics in the Skills Challenge, and Will’s first trip back to Oracle Arena since the 2019 c...

Will and Alex are live from Chase Center in San Francisco, breaking down Gradey Dick’s standout Rising Stars performance, rooting for Team G-League, Red Panda’s legendary act, hanging out with Masai, chatting with Zach Edey about Yao Ming and dim sum, and behind-the-scenes stories from All-Star Weekend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25 years ago, Vince Carter delivered the greatest performance in NBA dunk contest history. But one question remains: why did he wear AND1 sneakers that night? Alex and Jerome search for answers, speaking with former AND1 marketing director Jeff Roth, sneaker experts Russ Bengtson and Nick DePaula, Josh Roter of In Vintage We Trust, and GQ’s Yang-Yi Goh. They reveal the behind-the-scene story of th...

THE FAMED NORMAN POWELL INTERVIEW IS FINALLY HERE. Will Lou catches up with the beloved former Toronto Raptors guard to get the story behind some of the most iconic plays of his time with the Raptors. From unforgettably clutch dunks to hilarious team chemistry moments, Norman Powell fondly looks back at his time in Toronto, a place where he thought he would spend his entire career. #raptors #nba #...

An exhausted Will Lou recaps the Toronto Raptors' 131-108 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He breaks down RJ Barrett's encouraging return to the lineup, the continued emergence of the 2024 Raptors rookie class, and then breaks down Tristan Thompson being needlessly extra, again. Then, he shares takeaways from Bobby Webster and Brandon Ingram's introductory press conference. Three stars: RJ Barrett...

Will Lou and Alex Wong provide live coverage of the Toronto Raptors' 106-103 win over the lifeless Philadelphia 76ers, then discuss the 3-year, $120M extension for Brandon Ingram. Will breaks down the dominant showing by Scottie Barnes, his post-game response to Matt Bonner's criticism, and the continued re-emergence of Immanuel Quickley. Then, Alex joins the show to break down Brandon Ingram sign...

Will Lou reacts to the Toronto Raptors' 94-87 loss to the Houston Rockets. He breaks down the level of physicality in this game, Scottie Barnes' continued struggles on offense, and Immanuel Quickley finding his shot. Three stars: Jamal Shead, Immanuel Quickley, Ochai Agbaji Gerald Henderson award: Jeff Green #raptors #torontoraptors #jimmybutler #goldenstatewarriors Reach out to the show by leavin...

Will Lou and Alex Wong react to the Toronto Raptors' 121-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, then discuss what Raptors GM Bobby Webster had to say about the Brandon Ingram trade. We also workshop nickname ideas for Ingram, and Teddy Long makes a surprise entrance. Three stars: Gradey Dick, Ja'Kobe Walter, Chris Boucher Gerald Henderson award: Alex Caruso #raptors #torontoraptors #jimmybutler #g...

Will Lou and Alex Wong react live to the last hour of the NBA trade deadline from NBA Courtside Restaurant. They discuss the Toronto Raptors trading Davion Mitchell to Miami Heat, Chris Boucher surviving another trade deadline, and grade minor trades. #raptors #torontoraptors #nba #tradedeadline Reach out to the show by leaving a voicemail at hellowelcome.show or email the guys info@hellowelcome.s...

Will Lou goes live to react to the news of Brandon Ingram getting traded to the Toronto Raptors for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, a future 2nd and the 2026 IND 1st round pick. Will discusses the merits of Brandon Ingram, what he might look to re-sign for this summer, and the front office's clear intention to be competitive again in 2025-2026. #raptors #torontoraptors #brandoningram #nba #tradedeadlin...

Host Will Lou breaks down Toronto Raptors' 138-107 loss against the Memphis Grizzlies. He breaks down Zach Edey's first homecoming, Scottie Barnes' struggles, and then reacts to the news of the Raptors being involved in a potential mega trade involving Jimmy Butler. Three stars: Ja'Kobe Walter, Jamal Shead, Ochai Agbaji Gerald Henderson award: Zach Edey #raptors #torontoraptors Reach out to the sh...

Will Lou recaps the Toronto Raptors' 121-115 loss against the New York Knicks. He breaks down the standout performances from Jamal Shead and Ja'Kobe Walter. Then Alex Wong joins the show to discuss more Kevin Durant trade rumors and fan questions. Three stars: Jamal Shead, Ja'Kobe Walter, Gradey Dick Gerald Henderson award: Ariel Hurkporti #raptors #torontoraptors Reach out to the show by leaving...

Will and Alex check in with some NBA trade deadline news and ask what can the Raptors do? First, they break down the De'Aaron Fox-Zach LaVine three-way deal, then pivot to how the Raptors can capitalize on teams who are capped out, then discuss the latest rumors of Kevin Durant's potential availability. #nbatradedeadline #raptors #deaaronfox #kings #spurs #wembanyama Reach out to the show by leavi...

Will Lou and Alex Wong react to the Toronto Raptors' 115-108 win over the LA Clippers. They discuss the promising efforts from Ja'Kobe Walter and Gradey Dick, RJ Barrett standing up Kawhi Leonard on defense, and Canadian fans booing the US anthem at Scotiabank Arena. Three stars: RJ Barrett, Gradey Dick, Ja'Kobe Walter Gerald Henderson award: Nic Batum #raptors #torontoraptors Reach out to the sho...

Will, Alex, and Jerome react to the shocking Luka Dončić trade, breaking down conspiracy theories, alternate deals the Mavs could’ve made, the return of Lakers exceptionalism, winners and losers from the deal, and more. Reach out to the show by leaving a voicemail at hellowelcome.show or email the guys info@hellowelcome.show Check out our merch! Visit hellowelcome.show and click on the merch link....

Host Will Lou recaps the Toronto Raptors' 122-106 loss against the Chicago Bulls. He discusses the return of Immanuel Quickley, the defensive breakdowns by Toronto, and the curious absences of Chris Boucher and Kelly Olynyk ahead of the trade deadline. Three stars: Immanuel Quickley, Ja'Kobe Walter, Chris Boucher Gerald Henderson award: Jalen Smith #raptors #torontoraptors Reach out to the show by...

Host Will Lou breaks down the Toronto Raptors' 106-82 win against the Washington Wizards, then talks Raptors trade rumors with Alex Wong. They discuss the Brandon Ingram rumor, and the emerging market for Chris Boucher. Three stars: Scottie Barnes, Davion Mitchell, Bruce Brown Gerald Henderson award: Kyle Kuzma's circus shot #raptors #torontoraptors Reach out to the show by leaving a voicemail at...

Will and Alex return to The Classic Factory in Atlanta and are joined by Trey Kerby of No Dunks to draft their all-time favorite NBA rivalries. The discussion includes the iconic 90s Bulls-Knicks rivalry, LeBron vs. DeShawn Stevenson, James Harden vs. Daryl Morey, Draymond’s greatest foes, Michael Jordan vs. baseball, and more. Reach out to the show by leaving a voicemail at hellowelcome.show or e...

Host Will Lou breaks down the Toronto Raptors' 113-104 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. He breaks down the biggest reason behind the Raptors' defensive turnaround, Bruce Brown and Chris Boucher's contributions, and a huge effort from Jakob Poeltl. Three stars: Jakob Poeltl, Scottie Barnes, Chris Boucher Gerald Henderson award: Yves Missi #raptors #torontoraptors Reach out to the show by leaving...