The Toronto Raptors are once again spreading their brand across Canada as a part of their tune-up for the season. As the Raptors look to improve on a franchise-best season, they’ll tip things off with exhibition games in Vancouver and Calgary as part of the team’s fifth annual Canada Series.
The first of the two games takes place at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Oct. 1 and will mark Kevin Durant’s debut alongside Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. The team will then head to Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary for an Oct. 3 date with Canadian lottery pick Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets (shout out to K-W).
Both games will air on TSN, and tickets go on sale Sept. 2.
“As Canada’s basketball team, the Raptors are excited to bring the NBA to cities across our country,” Cory Joseph said in a release. “We look forward to returning to Vancouver, where we had a sellout last year, and making new fans during our visit to Calgary.”
“As someone who spent some time as a kid growing up in Canada, I’m really looking forward to our preseason game in Vancouver as part of the NBA Canada Series,” Curry, the reigning MVP, added. “The fans throughout Canada have always had a tremendous passion for basketball and the NBA, and to have the opportunity to visit such a beautiful city and play in that exciting environment is going to be a lot of fun.”
“It’s been a long, unpredictable journey and now I’m happy to be with a team that has a perfect situation for me,” said Murray. It’s going to be fun matching up with Toronto in Calgary for the first game of the preseason.”
The Raptors have yet to announce a location for their training camp or the rest of their preseason schedule. As always, these games should be a fun way for the team to get the #WeTheNorth message out there and engage fans outside of the GTA ahead of what should be a fun season.
