The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday that they will finish the 2020-21 season in Tampa, Florida — could this city have Stanley Cup Champs, Super Bowl Champs, and NBA Champs? We hope so.
Because of ongoing border restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and mindful of public safety measures in Canada, the team has decided they will continue to play their home games at Amalie Arena.
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“Florida has been really welcoming to us and we’re so grateful for the hospitality we’ve found in Tampa and at Amalie – we’re living in a city of champions, and we intend to carry on the tradition of winning for our new friends and fans here,” Raptors President Masai Ujiri said. “But home is where the heart is, and our hearts are in Toronto. We think often of our fans, of our Scotiabank Arena family, and all those we are missing back home, and we can’t wait until we can all be together again.”
The Raptors initially announced in November that Amalie Arena, in downtown Tampa, would serve as their home court for the first half of the 2020-21 season. A schedule release for the second half of the season is expected in the coming days.
Currently ranked 5th in the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors seem poised for a playoff appearance. The team is lead by 6-time NBA All Star Kyle Lowry — though there are trade rumors that have Lowry joining the 76ers.
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