More than 300 people have worn Raptors’ jerseys in the NBA. Not all of them are well known. So we randomly picked a former Raptor to profile in the year 2026. Here is the story of Voshon Lenard.
What do y’all know about Voshon Lenard?
I would assume the answer to be, “not much.” Which is a shame, because the more you dig into what Lenard’s career on the Raptors looks like, the more fascinating things get.
Lenard was a 6’4” shooting guard who played 11 seasons in the NBA, and suited up for Toronto in the 2002-2003
season. He played 63 games and started 24 of them, playing more than 30 minutes a night. He had his highest career scoring average this year, with 14.3 points per game. By that point, Lenard’s sharpshooting abilities cooled off after a blistering start on the Miami Heat, but he could still be called upon to knock down a three.
And the Raptors needed every one of them they could get in this injury riddled season, where Vince Carter missed significant time due to injury, and for the first time in three years, Toronto did not make the playoffs. All together, while Lenard was a solid piece for the Raps, he joined the franchise at the beginning of the “bad times,” and left before things improved.
That year, however, Voshon Lenard did what most NBA players of the day could only dream to do, and that was to literally beat Michael Jordan at his own game. On March 5th, 2003, Lenard was the Raptors’ second leading scorer in a victory against the Wizards, where he netted 15 points, making two three-pointers.
That same game, Michael Jordan only scored four. And sure, that might have been because of back spasms, but as any Raptors fan knows, he never could have stood against the Lenard onslaught either way.
In 2020, Rob Williams of the Daily Hive ranked Voshon Lenard as the fifth best of the ‘one-hit wonders’ that the Raptors ever had, owing to his scoring production in 2003.
Bleacher Reportinterviewed him post-retirement in 2011. There, he talked about his charity work, and the state of the Miami Heat at the time. When asked about a possible return to professional basketball, he answered simply, saying that “I thought my time was up. Now I’m just trying to sit back and enjoy life with my family.”
In some ways, Lenard is living the dream. The man carved out a niche for himself as a professional athlete, retired after making more than $25 million dollars, and kept his family close while still remaining active in meaningful work. This former Raptor made it out of the NBA alright, and should be remembered for his contributions to Toronto sports history, and whipping MJ and the Wizards really good that one time.
Thanks Voshon Lenard, wherever you are. Raptors fans haven’t forgotten you.
