The Toronto Raptors are extending their Tampa stay. Here’s how long it will be
The Toronto Raptors’ temporary stay in Tampa was extended through the rest of the 2020-21 NBA season.
The team announced Thursday its plan to continue playing in Tampa due to border restrictions caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“Florida has been really welcoming to us, and we’re so grateful for the hospitality we’ve found in Tampa and at Amalie [Arena] — we’re living in a city of champions, and we intend to carry on the tradition of winning for our new friends and fans here,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said in a statement, according to ESPN. “But home is where the heart is, and our hearts are in Toronto. We think often of our fans, of our Scotiabank Arena family, and all those we are missing back home, and we can’t wait until we can all be together again.”
The original plan for the Raptors was to play the first half of the season in Tampa and return to Toronto for the second half, but Thursday’s announcement quelled that idea.
The Raptors entered Thursday’s game with the Celtics at 12-13 on the season.
This story was originally published February 11, 2021 at 4:36 PM.
