Toronto Raptors fans still have a special place in their heart for Dwane Casey.
That was abundantly clear on Wednesday as those in attendance for Casey's return to Toronto with the Detroit Pistons gave the team's former coach a standing ovation at Scotiabank Arena.
Casey, 61, was named the NBA's Coach of the Year in 2017-18 after he led Toronto to a 59-23 record and the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Raptors won their first-round playoff series over the Washington Wizards in six games, but were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The @Raptors welcome Dwane Casey back with a standing ovation in his return to Toronto! pic.twitter.com/3yqj5HWs9c
— NBA (@NBA) November 15, 2018
Casey was then fired by the Raptors before the playoffs even ended. He was hired by the Pistons as the team's head coach after the season.
The long-time coach amassed a career 320-238 record with the Raptors and led the team to three straight 50-win seasons.
He is the winningest coach in Raptors history and the 59 wins in 2017-18 were a franchise record.
Seven years. Many memories.#WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/j39PhbDspM
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) November 15, 2018
