Credit: TorontoRaptors/Facebook

Credit: TorontoRaptors/Facebook

There’s a low key push to bring an official NBA team to Tampa Bay one day, but for now local basketball fans can cross their fingers for the possible arrival of the Toronto Raptors.

The Athletic’s Greg Auman reports that the Tampa Bay Sports Commission “would have a strong interest in working to successfully meet and exceed [Toronto’s] expectations as an alternative host” if the 2018-2020 NBA champs cannot play their upcoming season in Canada due to COVID-19 restrictions on travel. According to Bleacher Report, “The Raptors and the NBA would need a special exception in order for players to travel in and out of Canada for games.”

Canadian sports news website SportsNet has straight up said that, "If Raptors can't play at home, Tampa Bay area emerging as most likely choice." Rob Higgins, the executive director of the commission, added that his organization has “We’ve enjoyed our preliminary conversations with their organization and stand ready to assist if needed.”

NBA training camps are supposed to open on Dec. 1, and the NBA season is supposed to start on Dec. 22. The Tampa Bay Times says the games would be played at Amalie Arena, but we still don't know if fans would even be allowed to attend in person, but it looks like some fans are already on the bandwagon.


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This article appears in Nov 19-25, 2020.

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...