NBA Canada Series coming back to Montreal/Vancouver

[mikecubs]

The NBA is playing 4 preseason games in Canada this year.

LA Clippers vs. Toronto in Vancouver October 4th

Chicago Bulls vs. Minnesota Timberwolves in Winnipeg October 10

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Toronto in Ottawa October 14

Washington Wizards vs. Toronto in Montreal October 23

sports.yahoo.com/news/nba-canada-exhibition-series-kick-off-vancouver-013349704--nba.html

This time they gave Winnipeg a good match up that is actually worth checking out. The Chicago Bulls are the second best team in the east and a serious title threat(assuming they keep restricted free agent Jimmy Butler), Minnesota has Andrew Wiggins the rookie of the year who is from Canada. 1st matchup in Winnipeg sucked. It was Minnesota(pre-Wiggins) vs. a Detroit team with no stars.

[wolfmannick]

Do you think the NBA is looking to put more teams in Canada?

[mikecubs]

Maybe long term. It would be hard though. It's hard to make non hockey sports work outside of Toronto because of the Canadian dollar and in the case of Vancouver it's not big enough for another full time sport yet(though it probably will be sometime in the 2020s). The Canadian dollar is down to .80c which means you are at a 20% disadvantage to start out. That's fine for hockey because you guys are so awesome in that and for other Toronto sports like the Raptors. But it makes it VERY hard for other sports to work or work well enough for a sports league to put a team in either Montreal or Vancouver.

As far as Montreal they actually had a meeting with the NBA in New York last winter expressing interest. The Canadiens owner would make Bell Centre available but he wouldn't be the owner.

www.slamonline.com/nba/adam-silver-met-with-potential-montreal-ownership-group/#Csr3q2HMHvZgJuA9.97

Even though Montreal did sell out 4 preseason games in the past it would be hard to make it work besides the .80c dollar. Montreal is mostly white and lacks rich Asian immigrants(that's what supports the Raptors, at least 1/2 of fans at the games are Asian). Most of the minorities that Montreal does have are either 1.) Hatians(poorest country in the western continent) 2.)arabs
So that means you'd be VERY reliant on white Canadians to buy NBA tickets especially the expensive ones. I can't see it working but on paper demographically raw number wise is big enough for NBA to go along with NHL. It would be cool if it would work.

I think Vancouver has the best shot because of all the growth from China/Phillipines(China has more people playing basketball than the amount of people who live in the entire united states). Still though overall the city needs at least another 10 years of growth to even think about giving it crack number 2. Once Van city gets enough people you still have to deal with the disadvantage of the Canadian dollar. But long term it's possible and something to at least think about.

I all I think in the short term this is to build the Raptors brand/increase TV ratings nationally(most Canadians don't watch or care for the Raptors outside Toronto area) and make enough fans in some of these cities to buy stuff like NBA clothes etc(plus maybe have someone take up interest and become an NBA player from somewhere other than Toronto area).... maybe long term put a team in Vancouver.

[Bruinsfan]

id like to see the NBA put a team in vancouver or montreal


Id also like to see them look into expanding their D league to canada. the nba needs a better d league.

[mikecubs]

It was just announced that the Raptors are putting a D-League team in the Greater Toronto area for the 2015-16 season.

www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/liewike-raptors-d-league-team-coming-this-year/

Soon every team will have their own D-league team like baseball has their own minor league affiliates so they can control playing time for guys they send down.

If Seattle gets NBA back soon I'd like to see them put their D-league team in Vancouver. I'd also like to see an east coast team(New York? Boston? Brooklyn?) put a D-league team in Montreal.

[mikecubs]

In future years besides giving Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Winnipeg pre-season games I'd like to see this expanded to Edmonton once their new arena opens and if Calgary gets a new arena give them a game here and their too!

[Bruinsfan]

A canadian basketball league affiliated with the NBA would be a pretty decent idea, even if its a below the D league version of the CHL but for basketball AAu scene in toronto. dont give them a stipend sothey can retain NCAA eligibility

[Deleted]

I remember when the WBL was around in the early 90s, and the Winnipeg Thunder played for a season in 1992. The team was marketed really well, and I think the Thunder were actually leading the league in attendance. However, the WBL was nearly bankrupt, and unexpectedly ceased operations. Sam Katz owned and promoted the team, and sued the league, IIRC. It did not do anything to help the popularity of basketball in Winnipeg. A year later, the team competed in a different minor pro league, but the damage was done. They came and went, without much of a whimper.

[mikecubs]

Vancouver, Montreal to host Raptors pre-season games

The Toronto Raptors will play two 2018-19 pre-season games in Vancouver and Montreal as part of the sixth NBA Canada Series.

The Raptors will take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Sept. 29 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver and the Brooklyn Nets on Oct. 10 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

“One of the many great things about being Canada’s team is that we get a chance to bring the game we love to different parts of the country, and to connect with our fans, whose support is so important to us throughout the season,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said in a press release. “It’s also an opportunity for us to enjoy these spectacular cities – we’re really looking forward to our time in Vancouver and Montreal.”

This will be the fourth pre-season contest held in Vancouver and the fifth in Montreal.

“Vancouver is cool, I’ve been there a few times and I’ve always really enjoyed it,” Blazers all-star guard Damian Lillard said . “We’re looking forward to playing in front of fans from another great Pacific Northwest city.”

“We’re excited for our pre-season game in Montreal as part of the NBA Canada Series,” Nets GM Sean Marks said. “This will be a good opportunity for our players and staff to experience the rich culture of the city and the exciting atmosphere created by the fans.”

The NBA Canada Series has been around since 2012 and has been to Winnipeg, Ottawa and Calgary in addition to Vancouver and Montreal. The series took a year off for last season but will resume for the coming season.

www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/vancouver-montreal-host-raptors-pre-season-games/