Will Toronto Raptors Relocate to U.S?

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 Can COVID-19 force Toronto Raptors to move its administration to the U.S.?

Memphis Grizzlies, Ja Morant 2020 Rookie of the Year.

It can be done. Canada had the Vancouver Grizzlies, a basketball team based in British Columbia Province. It relocated to Tennessee after the 2000-2001 season and the name changed to Memphis Grizzlies.

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), which owns Toronto Raptors, might consider moving the basketball team to the U.S. because of COVID-19.

Canada demands that anybody entering the country, citizen and non-citizen, must self quarantine for 14 days. Stay at home or somewhere, as long it’s inside away from other people. No exception. Players are not above quarantine requirements.

That is why Toronto Raptors’ General Manager Bobby Webster and President Masai Ujiri packed their shaving kits and laptops in July and joined players in the ‘bubble’ in Florida. They are there for the duration. They had to be ‘on site’ because the 14 day quarantine militates against flying in and out.

MLSE, which owns Toronto Raptors knows that the NBA is America. It is the only team based outside U.S. No worries about: where is my passport? It’s right there in their man bags, because home games are in another country, Canada.

There are a few reasons that might make Larry Tanenbaum, MLSE Chair and his people, to consider moving Raptors to the U.S. That will be devastating for the City of Toronto and Ontario’s economy obviously, but the fact of the matter is, nobody knows when the pandemic will go away.

Countries are working on a vaccine but it’s not possible to put a date on when it will be available. Nobody wants it, but what if the 2020-2021 season takes place in another ‘bubble’?

Secondly, players are predominantly from the U.S. They don’t mind being in Canada because they know that Toronto is the place to be right now, if they want their career to take off. The Raptors organization is famous for flipping the script, successfully tweaking NBA rules to recruit championship talent. That was before COVID-19. 

If Raptors continue to be based in Canada, the 14 day quarantine might make it difficult for Masai Ujiri to attract platinum talent. Families won’t be able to fly in, when favourite sons and boyfriends have home games, in a country called Canada.

For the record, MLSE is not moving Toronto Raptors to the U.S. It’s just a thought. COVID-19 has made unthinkable things possible for example, NBA games without fans.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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