What Does ‘We the North’ Mean?

In 2011, the Toronto Raptors organization along with their marketing agency came up with a campaign “We the North” that took a negative perception of Canada and turning it on its head. That’s according to Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment CEO and President Tim Leiweke.

Leiweke was hired in 2013. The powerhouse came in and immediately made waves. He hired now-Raptors GM Masai Ujiri from the Denver Nuggets and together, they along with Dave Freeman, Head of Brand Marketing, pushed the popular cultural mantra of “We the North” that’s so now closely-tied to the Toronto Raptors.

“‘We the North’ was an opportunity to be our creed. It is a mirror image of our players. Our team has taken on that identity, and our identity has been set by this team. It’s something we’re going to have to build on. We ultimately need to be a team that’s recognized and has a fan base everywhere in the world. Until we get there, we haven’t succeeded.”

We the North just doesn’t look great on alternate jerseys, but it’s the franchise’s official rallying call, something that tells everyone that they don’t just take pride in the Toronto Raptors, but in the entire country. Are you a Raptors fan? Here’s some of the best We the North shirts, jerseys, hoodies and other gear you can cop to support The North.

Official We the North Collection

Below you’ll find some of the best authentic, officially-licensed “We the North” merch, gear and other items that we’ve curated from the legitimate sources like NBAStore.com, Nike, and Fanatics.com. Peruse the collection of t-shirts, jerseys, sweatshirts with hoodies, socks, shorts and more below.

Kawhi Leonard “NORTH” City Edition Jerseys in Black/Gold, White/Gold or Red/White

As a reward for making the 2018 NBA Playoffs, the Toronto Raptors were one of sixteen NBA teams that were gifted the official Nike Earned Edition jerseys which play on the popular “We the North” team campaign. This jersey was added to the City Edition alternate jerseys that were released earlier in the year.

As far as we can tell, the authentic Swingman versions of this are only available from Nike, however there are plenty of online shops that sell the replica versions of the popular “NORTH” jerseys.

Toronto Raptors NBA Playoffs ‘We the North’ Nike Shirt (Red, 2019)

Nike’s “We the North” short sleeve shirt gets right down to business and there’s no mistaken which team you support. Available in red, it has the rallying call WE THE NORTH right across the chest with the Nike swoosh over the right shoulder. This is available in several different sizes across men’s, women’s, and youth tees.

Toronto Raptors “WE THE NORTH” 2019 ECF Champions Shirt

Get this special NBA playoffs version of the We THE NORTH t-shrit. This official black t-shirt from the NBA is short sleeve and features the Eastern Conference Champions, CN Tower and an outline of the country’s famous Maple Leaf.

Nike “NORTH” City Edition Sweatshirt with Hood (White)

The winters are no joke in Canada and neither is this City Edition hoodie from Nike. You’ll feel fresh and clean (and dope) in this white hooded sweatshirt that riffs on the “We the North” campaign. It may be simple, but it ain’t basic.

Raptors WE THE NORTH Pullover Sweatshirt (by Majestic Threads)

This officially licensed tri-blend pullover hooded WE THE NORTH sweatshirt with drawstrings is perfect for wearing to the gym, going out to the bar, or to keep it warm and 100% Toronto Raptors during the winter in the North.

Made of a combination of 50% Polyester/38% Cotton/12% Rayon, feel comfortable at all times in either black or heather red. When looking for this Raptors sweatshirt, search for Toronto Raptors Majestic Threads Black Hometown Slogan Tri-Blend Pullover Hoodie

Toronto Raptors ‘We the North’ 2019 NBA Playoffs T-Shirt by Nike (Red with Swoosh)

We love this NBA Playoff bound t-shirt with the WE THE NORTH mantra emblazoned across the chest and has the Nike swoosh over the right shoulder. Decked out in all red, this short sleeve tee is created by Nike.

 

Toronto Raptors “NORTH” City Edition Bomber Jacket in All-White/Gold

Any Raptors fan would dig this bomber jacket. Like the white hoodie above, this is a clean and crisp off-white and gold that has the Raptors logo on the front left chest, a Nike swoosh on the left arm and the NORTH on the back. Rock this simple clean design that’s confident in its own style.

Toronto Raptors WE THE NORTH NBA Playoffs T-Shirt (by Fanatics in Black)

Want to keep it to the point? Rock this black NBA Playoffs t-shirt with WE THE NORTH on the marquee. Wear it at the NBA Finals or at home as you support the Raptors in their first title series.

Toronto We The North Shirt (Hometown Collection)

Get this Toronto Raptors “We The North” t-shirt in black. The shirt is officially-licensed and features not just the Raptors slogan, but the Raptors claws on the basketball logo. The crew neck, short sleeve shirt is from the Hometown Collection and is crafted with 100% cotton with screen print graphics and is branded by Fanatics.com. Get one.

We the North Throwback Font T-Shirts (in 17 colors)

These throwback tees are designed with “We the North” as the center of attention, written in Raptors font. The Toronto t-shirts are made of 100% combed ring spun cotton and is available in 17 different colors, so you’re not stuck with the purple, white, red, and black. If you want to rep the Raps in blue, it’s all you.

We love the playfulness of the colors and fonts of the retro shirts coupled with the modern motto of “We the North”.

Toronto Raptors Nike Red NBA Playoffs Mantra Legend Long Sleeve T-Shirt

With diehard Raptors fans like you, it’s the North Over Everything, so why not rep it with this clever long sleeve design.

Toronto Raptors Charcoal Slogan Tri-Blend T-Shirt (Buy Now)

This is a fun vintage-feel WE THE NORTH t-shirt featuring not only the Maple Leaf, but also the Toronto Raptor claw and basketball logo. Simple and easy.

Toronto Raptors We the North Towel for 2019 NBA Playoffs

Very rarely do we get into merchandise outside of shirts, shorts, jerseys and sweatshirts, but we have to say this towel is pretty dope. The all red and WE THE NORTH in black lettering keeps this NBA Playoffs towel from being corny

 

Toronto Raptors WE THE NORTH NBA Playoffs Tee Shirt by Nike (Black)

Here’s a simple black tee with red lettering that says a lot. Get his North over Everything team mantra short sleeve for the 2019 NBA Playoffs. The officially licensed shirt is from Nike and is 100% Polyester.

We the North Toronto Raptors Nike Heavyweight T-Shirt (White/Gold)

If you can’t tell, we’re really into the clean, crisp and fresh feel of the Toronto Raptors white We the North City Editoin gear. You’ll stand out looking great at any Raptors event. Whether at the game to cheer on Toronto in this heavyweight shirt from Nike. It has a Nike swoosh and Maple Leaf both in gold. Nothing else needs to be said. We the North, man.

WE THE NORTH 2019 NBA Playoffs Bound Pullover Hoodie (Raptor Red)

One of the best-sellers at the NBA Store, get this Nike “WE THE NORTH” hoodie with drawstring sweatshirt in red. Made with a blend of 81% Cotton/19% Polyester, you can feel comfortable and confident all day while supporting the Raptors, the city of Toronto and all of Canada.

Toronto Raptors WE THE NORTH Long Sleeve Shirt (Dri-FIT by Nike)

Another We the North shirt created by Nike. A simple black tee with WE THE NORTH screen-printed on the chest. The black tee also has the Nike swoosh under the right shoulder. Really, you can’t go wrong with a simple tee like this.

Toronto Raptors We the North Slogan Shirt (Short Sleeve, Adidas, Red)

Below you’ll find one of the original We the North t-shirts from earlier in the Raptors’ marketing campaign. As of this post, this item is out of stock on NBAstore.com. If you want to get down with this Adidas tee, you should search eBay.

Toronto Raptors ‘We the North‘ Maple Leaf T-Shirts

Another team mantra shirt that simply calls out “We the North”. This one features the calling card book ended by the iconic Canadian maple leaf and underscored by two red and white lines for emphasis. Shown are the black (asphalt) and white version of this We the North shirt, but you’re not limited to those colors. This customizable Raptors tee is available in 18 different colors.

Nothing drives the popularity of a sport like a local teams’ success. With several Canadians on NBA rosters, basketball already growing exponentially in Canada, and big names like R.J. Barrett, coming into the league next season, no doubt the Toronto Raptors making their first NBA championship series in franchise history is a huge milestone. The palpable excitement felt across the city after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals has only grown.

After running the Eastern Conference with star Kawhi Leonard leading the way, this is a significant milestone for the Raptors. This isn’t only an important time for the Toronto Raptors organization and the NBA, these accomplishments and being on the world stage is important for the City of Toronto and the country of Canada — something that will have a lasting affect across everyone involved. .