Doug Smith has covered the Toronto Raptors from day one. He raised his hand when the Toronto Star was looking for someone to take on the role of a beat reporter when Toronto landed it’s NBA expansion franchise. Now, some 25 years later, Smith is the only print reporter still covering the team. To say he’s seen it all would be a massive understatement. From the early days in the Skydome to the championship run, Smith brought the fans closer to the players, management, and the game itself.
This year, Smith released a book, We The North spanning the 25 years of the Toronto Raptors from his perspective. The audio version of the book is narrated by Matt Devlin. It’s one of the best sports books you will ever read or listen to.
Doug sits with Jonah and talks about the book, his love for the game of basketball, how he has developed meaningful relationships with every type of person associated with the game over the years, and of course some highlights from the book and his career.
Most importantly, the book sheds a light on why the role of a reporter is so necessary, why being present on the road, in the lockerroom in hotels is critical to creating engaging content, and most importantly why the current trend of players being inaccessible and controlling their voice is a dangerous slippery slope for those of us who love to consume sports media.
The book is a must, hopefully, you will feel the same about this interview.