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PHOTO: Raptors unveil new logo

REUTERS/Mark Blinch

The Toronto Raptors are in the midst of a resurgence on and off the floor, and included in that is the franchise's "We The North" branding campaign. 

The team released a new video Friday that updates last season's wildly successful launch, and at the end, the narrator (who is not Drake) says "This is our shield" over an image of a heretofore unseen black and white logo of a basketball and the Raptors' stylized claw.

The video caused a social media firestorm about whether a new Raptors logo had been unveiled, which the team would debut next season, when Toronto hosts the NBA during All-Star Weekend. 

The Raptors tweeted an image of their new logo and color scheme Friday afternoon:

While some red appears above, the prevalence of black and white, mostly, makes the Raptors only the second NBA team to use those as primary colors (the Brooklyn Nets were the first), after they were allegedly previously frowned upon by the league.

The new logo also appears to draw on the Raps' current claw design, as well as perhaps a slight nod to a secondary logo from their dinosaur days.

Most of the Twitter reaction out of Toronto Friday was negative. The Nets - whose logo it undoubtedly resembles - joined the pile-on:

"Last year during the playoffs, 'We The North' became a rallying cry for this team, and all of our fans," Raptors President and General Manager Masai Ujiri said in a statement. "Our new logo represents that attitude and will be an important part of our identity starting next season."

Team merchandise featuring the new design will be available in the fall, before the start of the 2015-16 season.

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