As you all might know that the NBA includes a team from all over the United States and from various states. Not only that, but the teams are chosen equally as per both of the conferences, and every part of the country gets the chance to showcase what they have brought. But as you might know, a Canadian team has been playing in the NBA. So you might be thinking that what is the reason behind a Canadian team playing in the American league. Not only that but how many more Canadian teams are there in the NBA that play along with the American teams.
As of now, NBA only includes a single NBA team, that is, Toronto Raptors. Toronto Raptors has performed significantly well in recent years and has proved why it should be recognized in NBA.
But still, why a Canadian team is playing in an American league, and can the best basketball teams from all over the world join NBA? Well, we will have to look into that. The certain thing is that the NBA has always made sure to bring whatever benefits the game and their leagues and entertains the fans from all over the world.
Also Read: Do You Know How NBA Playoffs Work?
Were there more Canadian Teams in NBA?
As I have stated above that there is only one Canadian team in NBA “as of now,” so have there been any other Canadian teams? So the answer is yes! There was another Canadian team that played in NBA. But aside from that team, there have been no Canadian teams than these two in the history of the NBA. If we talk about what that team was, then it was Vancouver Grizzlies.
The sad thing is, Vancouver Grizzlies lasted only a few years in NBA, and then it was relegated from the league. There were several reasons behind it, and the performance of the team itself played an important role in it. The team unquestionably did not perform well in the complete timestamp they played in the NBA. It was like they were playing to be positioned last in the league every year. Not only that, but luck was also not with them. Despite signing many unique young talents, the team still failed. All of this commotion caused so much trouble for the owner of the Vancouver Grizzlies. Not only that, but Canada’s economy was also one of the reasons why the team had to be sold. The exact period of the Vancouver Grizzlies was about six years. They performed in NBA from 1995 till 2001, and then the team was relegated.
After the team was sold, it came pretty quickly after shifting to the new state, Tennesse. As the team was initially moved back to the United States, there was no problem for it to play in NBA and perform.
Why the Canadian teams were added to NBA?
This is one of the most asked and confusing questions that what was the actual reason behind adding Canadian teams to the NBA. The reason was, NBA planned to expand the league so that it could be recognized in even more countries. As Canada is a massive country with excellent development, NBA had to choose one of their biggest cities to include the teams. The cities that were chosen were Vancouver and Toronto. As I stated earlier, Vancouver remained in NBA for a short period for their drastic performance in the league and also because of their bad luck. But the basketball team of Toronto was fortunate enough to remain in the league and perform throughout the seasons. Since then, we have not seen NBA expand the game to different regions of Canada or other countries.
The thing to note down here is that we might not be able to see foreign teams in NBA in the future because NBA has got more popularity and recognition in the past years that has attracted millions of professional basketball players towards it. So why would NBA opt for foreign clubs and teams when the teams of their regions can bring so much talent in the country without any hassles. But still, we don’t exactly know what will happen in the future because it is NBA we are talking about!
Is Toronto Raptors a good team?
If you are thinking that Toronto Raptors has always been a fantastic team that has been winning leagues since forever, then you are totally wrong. Just like the Vancouver Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors struggled a lot at the start. The struggle was that big that they did not even win anything in the first few years of their debut in the NBA. But if we check the record of the Toronto Raptors in recent years, it has been pretty good. Not only can you call it an average NBA team, but sometimes, it can also be called a good team that has potential in it to win more and more.
In the current year, Toronto Raptors have been offered 4th place in the eastern conference. Just so you know, there are 15 teams in each conference, and this is NBA we are talking about. So every team plays with full passion, and there is no chance of losing potential. If we talk about the position of the Toronto Raptors in the whole league, then it is placed 9th, which is very impressive as per seeing the record of the team.
If we take a look at the titles won by Toronto Raptor, we cannot call it very impressive, but it is still good enough for a team that started with almost nothing. The most notable titles that Toronto Raptors have won are NBA Championship and NBA Conference title. The team has won both of the titles only a single time. But as per its performance, you can expect to see Toronto Raptors lifting more trophies.
Aside from the major titles, Toronto Raptors have won a massive number of 7 division titles which is also an excellent achievement for a team. This means that they have performed exemplary in their divisions and have owned all the other teams in their division seven times. But let’s see, what will Toronto Raptors win in the future. If they want to really succeed, they will have to optimize their tactics and playing style to achieve what other big basketball teams have achieved. But still, the journey is long and very competitive as every team is trying to draft the best possible basketball players from all over the world. It creates difficulties for the teams like Toronto Raptors, but if they take the proper steps, they can succeed too.
Can any International Basketball Team enter NBA?
If some Canadian teams can enter NBA, then can the other International Basketball teams enter NBA? This is the question that arises after the two Canadian teams were included in the NBA. So the straightforward and simple answer to this question is a big no. Until or unless NBA wants to expand the project to other countries, no team can join NBA in any case.
The Canadian teams were added to the NBA because that is what NBA wanted. But currently, there is no actual plan of NBA to add other teams in the NBA as the league is going pretty successful without the addition of anything unique or exceptional.
Can International Players join NBA teams?
As International Basketball teams cannot enter NBA, what is the case for international players? Can they join NBA by drafting in any of the teams included in the NBA? Or are the teams only restricted to drafting players from America only? So the answer is, yes, International players can be drafted in the NBA teams. If a team cannot showcase their team performance, a single player can apply for the NBA draft and then join a particular team.
But of course, there are particular criteria for the international players that they have to follow to join an NBA team. If they do not follow any of the points mentioned in the criteria, they will not be considered for the NBA draft. The criteria include the things like age, skills, experience, contract with other basketball teams, and some more things. So if you are planning to be drafted in NBA, check the proper criteria and see if you fit well in it; only then will you be able to join the NBA.
How many international players can be there in NBA?
There is undoubtedly not a specific limit on how many international players can be in the NBA. But if we take a deep look at the history, there were 108 international players included in NBA rosters for the season 2019-2020. It is undoubtedly a significant number which means that the International Players also get a massive chance to show what they have got in NBA.
Final Verdict
It can be not very clear sometimes why NBA only opted for Canada to bring a team to include in NBA. But it is also very understandable if you know how vast and powerful Canada is. Not only that, but it has also got excellent basketball history which gives an even greater reason to include their team in NBA. So let’s hope best for the Toronto Raptors that they perform well in the future and win more titles with a proud name.
I have been playing basketball for more than a decade now, and my passion and enthusiasm for it drove me to write about it. I am Ahmed, a professional basketball player and a fan who has now become a writer to help fellow basketball players and enthusiasts to opt for the best possible basketball accessories and essentials. Stay tuned to feast yourself with the content you might not have seen anywhere else.