The Raptors will make Tampa their temporary home.
A plan to kick off the 2020-21 NBA season with home games at Scotiabank Arena was dashed on Friday by the federal government, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation, who were granted anonymity to speak freely ahead of an official announcement made .
The decision forced the team to rush to find a new base in the US. The training camp was less than two weeks away.
In a statement, Raptors President Masai Ujiri wrote: “The Raptors have worked diligently with public health officials at the local, provincial and federal levels to obtain a plan that will allow us to enjoy our 2020-21 season on home soil and playing on our home court in the Scotiabank Arena. These conversations were productive and we found strong support for the protocols we proposed. Ultimately, Canadians’ current public health situation, coupled with an urgent need to determine where we will play, means that we will begin our 2020-21 season in Tampa, Florida. “
The Raptors had worked for months to find a new location, despite the fact that they and the NBA tried to develop medical protocols and public health safety measures that would have allowed them to play in Toronto. Tampa has been the most frequently reported potential location for a while.
Time was of the essence. The NBA camps are slated to open on December 1, and a shortened 72-game regular season begins on December 22.
The search spanned a number of topics.
“We’re trying to do the best we can for the organization,” said Bobby Webster, general manager of Raptors, this week. “So you can go down the line somehow. Do you know what’s in the first place? The players. What does the exercise facility look like? What would the accommodations be around the medical facilities, medical treatment? Of course, you need an arena that meets NBA standards. There are a lot of broadcast problems. There is health and safety. There is availability for arena dates. There’s a lot of stuff there. ”
And there are human needs too.
“I think at some point we will ask people here to uproot their lives and move to a place where they may be six to seven months away from their families,” said Webster.
The Raptors firmly believed that their first choice all along was to play in Toronto. They felt that plans made in conjunction with the NBA would address health safety concerns, especially given the league’s success with hosting a “bubble” playoff season this summer at Disney World.
“We want to be in Toronto,” said Webster this week. “We want to play here, but we’re also realistic about the timing and respect of protocols public health has to go through, so it’s a bit of both. This does not necessarily affect the way we do business. I think we all know we run a basketball team and the 72 games are played, but (without knowing where it is) a burden on personal choices and families that always play a big role in this industry. “
With files from Robert Benzie and Bruce Arthur
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