<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> The courting of Bryan Colangelo actually began almost two calendar years before he arrived in Toronto. It is a little known story, told by few. Looking for a general manager to replace Glen Grunwald, the forever maligned Richard Peddie made a phone call to Phoenix. He asked Colangelo if he had any interest in working for the Raptors. He asked the question seriously. "It was more of a feeler kind of call," said Colangelo yesterday, relating the story. "They were in the process of seeking a replacement for Glen. I basically told them I was flattered by the mere suggestion but I wasn't in a position to make the move. "Literally, I had just come to an agreement with the new ownership group in Phoenix and I told (Richard) I felt like I owned it the owner and my father, Jerry, to make sure the transition went smoothly and to see this thing through." Needless to say, the transition didn't go so smoothly and the Raptors and Toronto have been the benefactors. Needless to say, the next time the Raptors called -- this time it was board chairman Larry Tanenbaum wondering if Colangelo was interested in leaving a first-place team for a last-place team -- the answer, stunningly, turned out to be yes. That was about 360 days ago, maybe the best promising, most intriguing, most energized and most believable 360 days in Raptors history. There is something about Colangelo that makes you want to believe. He is Pat Gillick with bravado, a high collar and a tie, somewhat lecturing but self-assured, and with ridiculously similar memory. There is something about Colangelo that makes you believe. He sneers at convention. He sets his own agenda. He follows no one. Winning now, making the playoffs this year, advancing beyond anyone's expectations are just baby steps for him. </div> Source
