Former Toronto Raptors guard CJ Miles got a pretty quick introduction to the country's basketball fans upon his arrival in 2017.

In an episode of Tidal League's Run Your Race podcast released Tuesday, Miles told former NBA player Theo Pinson it didn't take long for fans to recognize him in Toronto.

"It's beautiful, you've got a whole country behind you. You've got great fan bases in the league but it's not a country," Miles said. "The city, they embraced me. I remember the first day I got there, I hadn't even put a jersey on… we were going to do something. You know how you're running around, the first day you [sign]? I remember just getting out of the car and getting run up on [by a fan]… It was crazy. I was like, bruh, I JUST got here."

CJ Miles on the power Kyle Lowry carried within the #Raptors organization:

“Kyle was for his guys. If Kyle thought we should get a day off, we got a day off. He would go through hell to make sure that happened.” pic.twitter.com/wHqIM4Pu9d

— Adam Laskaris (@adam_la2karis) December 12, 2023

Miles played 110 games for the Raptors across the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons before being shipped off to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of the Marc Gasol trade.

A 16-year NBA vet, Miles suited up for seven franchises — Toronto, Memphis, Utah, Indiana, Cleveland, Washington, and Boston — during his time in the league.

During his first season in Toronto, Miles played alongside one of the franchise's most iconic pairings: Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, who were ultimately split up in 2018 for the franchise-shifting trade for Kawhi Leonard.

"They were selfless… they were some of the most selfless superstars. They were for everybody… Kyle was for his guys. If Kyle thought we should have a day off, we got a day off. He would go through hell to make sure that happened," Miles said.

Meanwhile, Miles said DeRozan had a unique way of going about his business.

"[DeRozan] was the most quiet superstar I've ever been around," he added. "[Him and Lowry] cared about winning, they cared about the game, and they knew that they needed the team to do it."

The full interview is available here.