Im dont mean to sound like a jackass, but are there enough people in montreal/vancouver/calgary that would support a nba team?
Montreal=3.8 million metro pop
Vancouver=2.3
Calgary=1.2
So Calgary, no. Vancouver and Montreal are both underserved markets with only one of the big 4 leagues represented. Montreal may just be the most underserved area in North America. (Although I have a feeling that even with 6 pro sports teams, L.A. holds that title.)
__________________
Every post comes with the Nalyd Psycho Seal of Approval.
Only place it could go is Vancouver.. and I don't think Vancouver has really forgiven the NBA for what happened last time.
Hell I wouldn't mind if the Raptors moved down south..keep that league in the States where it belongs..
Nobody cares about the NBA anymore anyway, nobody wants a team
Toronto is a major international city. Not a bad sports town. The big four is the big four. Prestige, and something else to do. Why do you think Rogers wanted the NFL here.
I don't think the Raps would ever close up shop, but it's pretty obvious that basketball fans here are somewhat more vociferous about the team's obvious lack of success thus far. Leafs are Leafs, and they'll sell out no matter what, even if the on-ice product is sub-par. But the Raps have been bad for so long, all that losing draws away the fans. We see it with the Jays and (lol) Argos as well.
They're well on their way to another early offseason, too. I don't see the NBA making too much of an effort to revisit a two-team Canadian presence.
__________________
If you're telekinetic and you know it, clap my hands!
^ Teams like the Raptors can't succeed in the NBA. They can't draw American stars in FA because they don't want to play there and when they do hit on a star in the lottery like with Carter and Bosh they're forced to either trade or let them leave in one way or another.
I'm a Sixers fan but I used to be a Raptors fan too in the Carter era and early Bosh days, until like High School when the Sixers separated from the pack. I still route for the Raps somewhat even though they're a division opponent. (Unlike the other 3 major sports where I latched on to my teams at 5 or 6 yo and stuck with them throughout, with the NBA I used to like a few teams)
The lockout changed nothing other than putting a few more dollars in the owner's pockets. Teams like the Raptors, Bobcats, Hornets, etc will never suceed unless they draft a superstar(s) and luck out that he/they want to stay like OKC did with Durant and Westbrook.
With that being said I don't see Toronto ever contracting or relocating but I also don't see a NBA team going back to Vancouver or any other Canadian city any time soon.
^ Teams like the Raptors can't succeed in the NBA. They can't draw American stars in FA because they don't want to play there and when they do hit on a star in the lottery like with Carter and Bosh they're forced to either trade or let them leave in one way or another.
I'm a Sixers fan but I used to be a Raptors fan too in the Carter era and early Bosh days, until like High School when the Sixers separated from the pack. I still route for the Raps somewhat even though they're a division opponent. (Unlike the other 3 major sports where I latched on to my teams at 5 or 6 yo and stuck with them throughout, with the NBA I used to like a few teams)
The lockout changed nothing other than putting a few more dollars in the owner's pockets. Teams like the Raptors, Bobcats, Hornets, etc will never suceed unless they draft a superstar(s) and luck out that he/they want to stay like OKC did with Durant and Westbrook.
With that being said I don't see Toronto ever contracting or relocating but I also don't see a NBA team going back to Vancouver or any other Canadian city any time soon.
Carter and Bosh were here for years though. Carter was huge and took them to the playoffs. All you need to do is win.
I'd love to see another team in Vancouver or Montreal. Fairly large population centers, ready-to-go arenas. Just a question of ownership. If someone in these cities is interested you can bet the NBA will be listening considering the problems in some of the U.S. markets.
^ Teams like the Raptors can't succeed in the NBA. They can't draw American stars in FA because they don't want to play there and when they do hit on a star in the lottery like with Carter and Bosh they're forced to either trade or let them leave in one way or another.
I'm a Sixers fan but I used to be a Raptors fan too in the Carter era and early Bosh days, until like High School when the Sixers separated from the pack. I still route for the Raps somewhat even though they're a division opponent. (Unlike the other 3 major sports where I latched on to my teams at 5 or 6 yo and stuck with them throughout, with the NBA I used to like a few teams)
The lockout changed nothing other than putting a few more dollars in the owner's pockets. Teams like the Raptors, Bobcats, Hornets, etc will never suceed unless they draft a superstar(s) and luck out that he/they want to stay like OKC did with Durant and Westbrook.
With that being said I don't see Toronto ever contracting or relocating but I also don't see a NBA team going back to Vancouver or any other Canadian city any time soon.
So why is Toronto an unattractive location? Climate? I don't think it's any more unappealing than Charlotte...
I agree, while nice weather is , well, nice, it also depends on the city
I'm a big city guy, and I'm from the Mediterranean seaboard, but I take a big cold city over a small sunny town any time of the year
I brought up Charlotte since it's a small town (relative to other NBA markets), warmer though it may be.
Which is more unappealing, Montreal or Toronto? Climate-wise, these two places are nearly the same. These are places where, in the current context, a basketball player can play without the pressure of major basketball markets, much like Phoenix is a city where hockey players can play without the pressure.
But are basketball players usually fond of nightlife? If so, that ought to favor Montreal somewhat.
As far as high taxes are concerned, which could be a concern for Montreal, that didn't prevent the Knicks from building a competitive team. The Knicks, too, play in an environment where taxation is just about as heavy as it is in Montreal.
The difference is one of those places is New York and the other is Montreal. There's a plethora of reasons why Basketball players would want to go to NY regardless of taxes.
