Leo Rautins
Leo Rautins | |
|---|---|
| Born | Leo Rytis Rautins March 20, 1960 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Basketball player, broadcaster, coach |
| Years active | 1976–2011 (player and coach) |
| Known for | Canadian national basketball team player and coach; Toronto Raptors broadcaster |
Leo Rytis Rautins (born March 20, 1960) is a Canadian former professional basketball athlete, broadcaster, and previous head coach of Canada's men's national basketball squad. Selected in the first round of the 1983 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, Rautins’ time in the NBA was curtailed by injury setbacks. After a short hiatus, he resumed his playing career across various European leagues from 1985 through 1992. Since 1995, he has been a prominent broadcaster for the Toronto Raptors.
Playing career
Rautins first gained recognition at Toronto's St. Michael's College School and earned a spot on the Canadian senior national team at just 16, making him the youngest player ever at that time. His tenure with the national team extended until 1992, concluding with participation in the 1992 Tournament of the Americas, which served as qualification for the Barcelona Olympics.
He spent one season playing college basketball at the University of Minnesota, where he achieved first-team All-Big Ten rookie status, posting averages of 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per contest. Desiring a more prominent role, he transferred to Syracuse University for three seasons, averaging 12.1 points, 5.0 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game. During his senior year at Syracuse, he became the first athlete to notch two triple-doubles in Big East competition within a single month and earned third-team All-Big East as well as Honorable Mention All-American distinctions.
In the 1983 NBA draft, Rautins was picked 17th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers, marking him as only the second Canadian ever selected in the first round. Measuring and weighing 215 lb, he was recognized for his exceptional passing ability. Unfortunately, a pre-training camp foot injury that went untreated worsened during his rookie season. He played in 28 games for Philadelphia, averaging seven minutes on court with contributions of 1.5 points and one assist per game.
In September 1984, Rautins was traded to the Indiana Pacers but eventually signed with the Atlanta Hawks, appearing in just four games before being released in November. Subsequent efforts to join other NBA or Continental Basketball Association teams did not materialize.
Following this period, Rautins returned to Syracuse to engage in broadcasting activities and served as a commentator for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) during the 1984 Olympic Games. He resumed his professional playing career in Europe starting in 1985 with Italy’s Serie A1 club Pallacanestro Virtus Roma (1985–86) and Serie A2’s Scaligera Basket Verona (1986–87), later competing in France with Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez (1989–90 and again in 1992) and Spain’s Liga ACB (1991–92). His career concluded after undergoing fourteen knee surgeries.
Post-playing career
Upon retiring from active play, Rautins shifted focus to basketball broadcasting, becoming a key voice for the Toronto Raptors beginning with their inaugural season in 1995, fulfilling roles as lead colour commentator on Sportsnet or as a studio analyst on TSN. Additionally, he operates summer basketball training camps.
Rautins was honored with induction into the Canada Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997 and later into the Ontario Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.
In February 2005, he assumed the position of head coach for Canada’s national team. While Canada did not qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games during his tenure, they secured a berth at the 2010 World Championship. He stepped down from coaching duties in September 2011 following Canada’s defeat to Panama at the FIBA Americas tournament.
In 2014, Rautins played a role in establishing a new Canadian basketball league and was appointed a principal figure in an Ottawa professional franchise proposal after the Ottawa SkyHawks ceased operations. He was also among candidates considered for Commissioner of the National Basketball League of Canada.
On October 17, 2016, Rautins received induction into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame at an event held at Toronto’s Sheraton Centre Hotel.
Personal life
Rautins was born in Toronto, Ontario to parents of Latvian and Lithuanian heritage; his father was Latvian and his mother Lithuanian. They met while imprisoned in a camp, eventually escaping alongside Dutch soldiers before relocating to Canada, the sole nation that granted them asylum. During his childhood, he played for Toronto Aušra, a community sports organization catering to children of Lithuanian ancestry. Together with his first wife Maria, Rautins had four sons: Michael, Andrew (Andy), Jay, and Sammy. Following in his father's footsteps, Andy competed for Syracuse University and was selected by the New York Knicks in the 2010 NBA draft. In 2005, Rautins wed Jamie Lawson. He spends the NBA off-season living in Jupiter, Florida.
Awards
- 1978 – Named to the All-Big Ten Rookie Team
- Selected as an All-Star in professional leagues across Italy, France, and Spain
- 1997 – Inducted into Canada's Basketball Hall of Fame
- 2000 – Honored by the Ontario Basketball Hall of Fame
- 2000 – Included in Syracuse University's All-Century team