Raptors: Team will finish season in Tampa over COVID fears

It will be next fall, at the earliest, that fans in Toronto will get to see the Raptors play in person again.

Citing continued concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic and issues with the CanadaUnited States border, the team announced Thursday it will play the entire 2020-21 season in its temporary home in Tampa, Fla.

The NBA has released only the first half of its 72-game season — running up until the first week of March — and that created some hope Toronto would be able to move back to Canada for the second half.

That’s no longer a possibility and the Raptors now have certainly about where they will play for the remainder of the season.

“I think that it took us a while to get settled in,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said before Thursday’s game in Boston.

“You usually get guys in early so they can get settled in before training camp starts. We're just kind of getting settled in, we might as well finish it out now.”

The Raptors last played in Toronto on Feb. 28, 2020, meaning it should be close to 20 months between games at the Air Canada Centre. The 2021-22 pre-season is not likely to begin before October.

“Hope we can get back there and start next season from Day One,” Nurse said.

The decision to stay in Florida means it is entirely possible that Kyle Lowry, who becomes a free agent in the off-season, and Norm Powell, who has a player option for 2021-22, will have played their final true home games as Raptors.

The team will have a few fans in Tampa at least. Amalie Arena will allow family and friends of team officials, about 25, to attend games starting Sunday as long as they pass COVID-19 tests before entering the arena.

Crowds of up to 3,800 had been allowed early in the season but, citing growing positive test numbers, Amalie officials shut that down last month.

“Florida has been really welcoming to us and we’re so grateful for the hospitality we’ve found in Tampa and at Amalie,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri’s said in a statement.

“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,” he added.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl last weekend, the Lightning won the Stanley Cup and the Rays played in baseball’s World Series last fall.