Raptors to play game in Vancouver for first time in five years

Following a five-year hiatus, the Toronto Raptors are coming back to Vancouver.

The Raptors and Sacramento Kings will play a preseason game at Rogers Arena on Sunday, October 8. It’s the first NBA preseason game scheduled in Vancouver since 2019, and the first visit by the Raptors since 2018, when Kawhi Leonard made his debut with his new team.

Visits to Vancouver used to be a near-annual occurrence for the Raptors, who held training camp at Fortius in Burnaby on multiple occasions. Rogers Arena hosted Raptors games against Sacramento in 2014, the Los Angeles Clippers in 2015, the Golden State Warriors in 2016, and the Portland Trail Blazers in 2018.

With each visit, energetic fan support from basketball-starved fans in Vancouver was notable.

“The Raptors have a deep connection with Canada’s west coast – our preseason games there have been a great way for our team to begin our season,” Raptors GM Bobby Webster said in a press release. “We’re looking forward to seeing Vancouver’s basketball fans at Rogers Arena in October, and to starting another exciting NBA season there.”

The Raptors, who missed the playoffs last season, are headlined by Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, and new first-round draft pick Gradey Dick.

Sacramento is a team on the rise, winning their division with a 48-34 record last season and making the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. They’re led by a pair of NBA All-Stars in De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. The Kings also feature Canadian power forward Trey Lyles.

The Vancouver contest is one of two neutral-site NBA preseason games to take place in Canada this season, as part of the NBA Canada Series. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons will play at the Bell Centre in Montreal on October 12.

“We’re extremely excited about this year’s NBA Canada Series presented by Bell, which comes at a time when basketball popularity and the level of talent coming from Canada are at an all-time high,” said NBA Canada senior VP and managing director Leah MacNab. “Through these two games and the surrounding events, the passionate NBA fans in Vancouver and Montréal will have the opportunity to see some of the best up-and-coming players in the league and several hometown heroes, which will inspire the next generation of fans and players across the country.”

Tickets will go on sale at a later date, with pre-sale opportunities available through the NBA Canada Series website.