Well, it was fun while it lasted. The #Raptors2KC campaign came to an end Friday following a statement from Raptors president Masai Ujiri that said the Toronto Raptors would begin their 2020-21 season in Tampa Bay, FL.
The Raptors will begin the 2020-21 season in Tampa, Masai Ujiri says in a statement.
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) November 20, 2020
Here’s an excerpt from the statement released early Friday afternoon:
“The Raptors worked diligently with public health officials at the local, provincial and federal level to secure a plan that would permit us to play our 2020-21 season on home soil and on our home court at Scotiabank Arena,” Masai Ujiri said in a statement. “These conversations were productive, and we found strong support for the protocols we put forward. Ultimately, the current public health situation facing Canadians, combined with the urgent need to determine where we will play means that we will begin our 2020-21 season in Tampa, Florida. We want to thank all levels of government and their public health officials for their dedication to this process, and for looking after the health of Canadians. We commit to continuing our work together, planning for a safe return to play in Toronto. And as an organization, we remain committed to doing all we can to promote and demonstrate public health measures to help combat the spread of COVID-19 in Canada.”
The temporary relocation is a result of the Canadian government’s decision to deny the NBA and the Raptors the ability to play in Toronto given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.