Raptors GM says they think of themselves as 'Canada's Team'
Raptors take on Golden State Warriors on Saturday for exhibition game at 4:30 p.m. PT
Are the Toronto Raptors "Canada's Team?"
General manager Jeff Weltman thinks so.
"It's something our guys have embraced," he told On The Coast host Stephen Quinn. "It's great to know you can be in Toronto and still touch the whole country that way."
"We've kind of thought of ourselves, and in NBA circles have been written about, as Canada's team. We take a lot of pride in that."
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The team is playing in Vancouver on Saturday for an exhibition game against the Golden State Warriors, and Weltman says this city is a "home away from home" to the team.
For the past four years they have held training camp in the city, for one thing.
Of course, Vancouver is no stranger to NBA action, having been home to the now-Memphis Grizzlies during the '90s, and Weltman says he wants to win over Grizzlies fans by "having a presence" — and by winning.
"We're committed to putting out as good a team as we can that the whole country can feel good about and embrace," he said. "Vancouver's been good to us and the outpouring of fan support has been enormous."
The Raptors are coming off one of their best years ever, having reached the Eastern Conference finals last season.
Weltman hopes that by continuing to be a fixture in the Canadian sports consciousness, the game will grow in this country in years to come.
"A lot of Canadian players are finding their way into the NBA and becoming high-level prospects, and there's a whole other wave coming," he said.
"Andrew Wiggins and Jamal Murray and these guys are just about 20 years old, which is just about how long the Raptors have been around.
"When you have a team to root for … and it becomes ingrained in your childhood, in the culture, I think it goes a long way and we're starting to see that now and I think it'll continue."
The Raptors take on the Golden State Warriors in Vancouver at 4:30 p.m. PT Saturday.
With files from CBC Radio One's On The Coast
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