The Toronto Raptors announced that they will play the entirety of the 2020-21 season in Tampa Bay due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.
There was some optimism that the Raptors would return to Toronto when the NBA reached the halfway mark of the regular season schedule if public health improved. However, with vaccine rollouts stalling and the virus still raging through both the United States and Canada, it was not feasible for the Raptors to return home, especially with travel restrictions still in place at the border.
“Florida has been really welcoming to us and we’re so grateful for the hospitality we’ve found in Tampa and at Amalie – 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.