On Oct. 8, 2023, at 8:00 p.m., the Kings will be playing the Raptors in the first of two preseason games in Canada. NBA Fans will be able to register their interest in the event by going to NBACanadaSeries.com where they will be able to receive information about the games coming up.
The other game in this preseason series will be on Oct. 12, 2023, at 7:00 p.m,. featuring the Thunder and Pistons.
Neither of these games will be played in Toronto one of them well be played in Vancouver and the other being in Montreal. This is the ninth time that this series has been played with various times. The NBA Canada series formally started in 2012 when the Knicks lost to the Raptors in a preseason game. The game was in Montreal, not Toronto.
While the Canada series formally started in 2012, teams have been playing preseason games since there since the early 90s. They even played preseason games before Toronto was granted an expansion team. Even though the Raptors already have a team with a successful fanbase, this is a great way to grow the game in Canada.
Why does the NBA continue to have global games in Canada even though they already have a thriving team in the Raptors?
The NBA already has a huge fanbase in Canada due to the success of the Raptors. The NBA has a lot of interest from Vancouver and Montreal. The challenge is that there is only one team in Canada. For people in America, rooting for a Toronto-based team from Vancouver is like rooting for the Yankees from New York. According to an interview with Dan Mackenzie in 2013, NBA Canada spends a lot of time trying to overcome this long-distance challenge.
Having games in that part of the country is a great way to make sure the demand is met. NBA experiences are a great way for fans in the area to have a memory that will last a lifetime. As a whole, the NBA has a lot of ways for them to grow the game in Canada. The best way to do this is to have preseason and regular season games in each part of the country.
