Should Canada have a 2nd NBA team?

Tg11 · #1 Posted **May 22, 2021, 11:24 AM**

Canada is considerably smaller than the United States in terms of population. Canada’s ninth largest city, Hamilton, has virtually the same population as the NBA’s smallest market team – the Oklahoma City Thunder.

That’s not to say the NBA wouldn’t consider going somewhere smaller, as the Thunder have clearly shown it’s worked. I am more so pointing out that Canada just doesn’t have many places to choose from.

From the way I see it, there are 3 solid Canadian city options for an NBA team should the NBA decide to ever expand into Canada again and those cities are:

1- Montreal- A lot of NBA talent coming out of Montreal and Montreal starting to become a basketball town...could they support an NBA team? They have the proper arena and a culture over there that I could see it.

2- Ottawa- Nation's capital like think how Washington is the nation's capital in the USA; Ottawa is our nation's capital...and could Ottawa support an NBA team? Ottawa would and could support a team there easily. They too have the resources.

3- Vancouver- Probably the best choice and why? They have had experience having an NBA team before. So why not go back to Vancouver for a 2nd time? Basketball has grown tremendously in Canada since the days of the Vancouver Grizzlies. The Raptors are the lone team north of the border, but the country has produced several high-level players in recent years, including Jamal Murray, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lou Dort, Chris Boucher, Nickeil Alexander Walker, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Andrew Wiggins, Tristan Thompson and Dwight Powell.

The Raptors became a popular franchise throughout the Vince Carter era. Since 1998, they have been owned by Canadian company Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which had a vested interest in making basketball work in the city.

The Grizzlies just didn't have the same star power (as great a player as Shareef Abdur-Rahim was in his day), and ownership didn't have the same investment in the country of Canada. Seattle-based John McCaw Jr. eventually sold to Michael Heisley, who relocated the team to Memphis in 2001.

Vancouver has Rogers Arena ready to go so they are probably the best bet.

isaidso · #2 Posted **May 22, 2021, 1:02 PM**

Montreal and Vancouver by 2030. After that I'd pick Edmonton as a nod to the Grads. Maybe even call them the Edmonton Grads. Culturally, Halifax probably deserves it more than any other Canadian city but it's about 5 times too small to support NBA. You really need about 2 million+ in your metro. New Orleans (1.3 million) is currently the smallest market with an NBA franchise.

Djeffery · #3 Posted **May 22, 2021, 1:29 PM**

The NBA will be looking at Seattle again, which probably in their minds, rules out Vancouver again. Although the Grizzlies existed with the Supersonics before, and it was more an ownership issue that saw the end of the Griz than anything else. For that reason, I would put Montreal ahead of Vancouver on the pecking order, but I think either city would work.

MonctonRad · #4 Posted **May 22, 2021, 2:11 PM**

Major league sports expansion in Canada suffer serious challenges (beyond Toronto, and beyond hockey).

1) - The cost of talent (players) is monetized in US currency, which gives a lot of unpredictability to operating costs due to currency fluctuations. The Canadian dollar is almost always undervalued compared to it's US counterpart.
2) - All major league sports are based in the US. The main advertising markets are in the US. Canadian cities are virtually unknown south of the border. There is very little upside for any US based league in considering Canadian expansion. US fans are uninterested in watching a Canadian team play. There are no natural intercity rivalries. This lack of interest makes selling advertising and getting TV exposure very difficult. This is a serious monetary issue.
3) - There is serious shortage of both personal and corporate wealth in Canada (at least compared to the US). Many US cities are festooned with billionaires wanting to stroke their own ego by owning a major league club. The same cannot be said for Canada. It would take many hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars to set up a new major league club in a Canadian city. Who would step up to the plate to do this???

Having said this, I could see the NBA being interested in expansion to Vancouver or Montreal. I'm sure MLB is serious about a return to Montreal. I doubt there will ever be any further NHL expansion in Canada. As for the NFL -

JHikka · #5 Posted **May 22, 2021, 2:47 PM**

Yes it should also be in Toronto.

MolsonExport · #6 Posted **May 22, 2021, 2:55 PM**

Should Toronto have a second Toronto?

905er · #7 Posted **May 22, 2021, 3:57 PM**

No... why excite an entire city, province or region for that matter with the prospects of an NBA franchise, only to witness its departure a few years later?... Canadian teams in predominately American leagues struggle .. salary caps and US vs Cdn dollar... I just don't see it as being feasible. Would love to see it but sadly.. I don't see it happening.

esquire · #8 Posted **May 22, 2021, 4:13 PM**

If the NBA comes to Winnipeg I promise to buy tickets to at least one game a season. Maybe two if they're any good

Tg11 · #9 Posted **May 22, 2021, 5:05 PM**

Besides Vancouver, Montreal is probably the second best choice for an NBA team. Why? Montreal is not only turning into a basketball town but they can easily put this Montreal NBA team into the Bell Arena. I bet a lot of Quebecois would sell out every game just to watch their team play. Not to mention with a team in Montreal, instant rivalry with the Raptors. Plus with the ownership Groups in Montreal, they could easily pull it off.

rousseau · #10 Posted **May 22, 2021, 5:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

After that I'd pick Edmonton as a nod to the Grads. Maybe even call them the Edmonton Grads.

This could be a question on Jeopardy.

A: This city will never have an NBA team ever. Like, totally nobody has or ever will consider this a realistic option for an NBA franchise, and the very notion that somebody would is an affront to reason and common sense.

Q: What is Edmonton?

Denscity · #11 Posted **May 22, 2021, 5:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Should Toronto have a second Toronto?

Are two Torontos enough?

rousseau · #12 Posted **May 22, 2021, 5:32 PM**

In answer to the question, yes, Canada should have a second NBA team. In Montreal, obviously, given that there will never be an NBA team in any other Canadian city.

But will it happen? No. If there are relocations or an expansion the first options will be Seattle, Las Vegas and maybe Tampa Bay, with remote possibilities being Columbus, Pittsburgh and St. Louis.

All well before a second NBA franchise in Canada would be considered.

logan5 · #13 Posted **May 22, 2021, 6:43 PM**

The African American players hate playing in Canada. They barely tolerate Toronto. One former Raptor described it like this - "when you play in Toronto, you feel like you're playing overseas". So imagine how they would react to Montreal, where everyone speaks French. And we saw what happened in Vancouver. If these guys don't like their situation they will sabotage the team, and for a potential city like Montreal, that means being perpetually bad.

Would rather see MLB in Vancouver.

thewave46 · #14 Posted **May 22, 2021, 6:46 PM**

Sure. Whatever city can make the $1-2 billion US$ expansion fee work.

rousseau · #15 Posted **May 22, 2021, 6:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by logan5

They barely tolerate Toronto.

Things change when you win a championship.

Proof Sheet · #16 Posted **May 22, 2021, 7:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denscity

Are two Torontos enough?

You can never have enough Toronto's....don't cha ya know it is a World Class City.

Toronto...gateway to Vaughan and Milton.

Denscity · #17 Posted **May 22, 2021, 7:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

You can never have enough Toronto's....don't cha ya know it is a World Class City.

Toronto...gateway to Vaughan and Milton.

Haha well us Vancouver fans have called ourselves a World Class City before as well so i can't say anything.

ssiguy · #18 Posted **May 22, 2021, 8:01 PM**

If it makes financial sense then it will eventually not but that will be the deciding factor as this is, when you get right down to it, just a business like any other.

Montreal is the natural choice being the 2nd largest city, a natural rivalry with Toronto, and a large African Canadian population. Third option would be Vancouver but frankly I don't think that will ever happen. It had a team and lost it because the money just wasn't there and also Vancouver's population of ethnic minorities is almost exclusively Asian decent and basketball has little following amongst those constituents.

Denscity · #19 Posted **May 22, 2021, 8:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssiguy

If it makes financial sense then it will eventually not but that will be the deciding factor as this is, when you get right down to it, just a business like any other.

Montreal is the natural choice being the 2nd largest city, a natural rivalry with Toronto, and a large African Canadian population. Third option would be Vancouver but frankly I don't think that will ever happen. It had a team and lost it because the money just wasn't there and also Vancouver's population of ethnic minorities is almost exclusively Asian decent and basketball has little following amongst those constituents.

The new mainland Chinese arrivals, the long time local Hong Kong decendants, and the Philipino population all love basketball.

rousseau · #20 Posted **May 22, 2021, 9:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Third option would be Vancouver but frankly I don't think that will ever happen. It had a team and lost it because the money just wasn't there and also Vancouver's population of ethnic minorities is almost exclusively Asian decent and basketball has little following amongst those constituents.

Actually, Asians love basketball. But Vancouver just isn't an NBA city. It was a miserable experiment that lasted six years. I know one of the members of the statistics staff on the team, and he said they were relieved and delighted to leave Vancouver for Memphis.