“Here we go. We’re back, the NBA is back,” Raptors President Masai Ujiri enthusiastically told CP24 on Wednesday.Today marks the Raptors’ first regular-season game at the arena since Feb. 28 2020, when sports arenas and other indoor venues were shuttered to reduce the spread of the virus.
In order to attend tonight’s game, spectators must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and show proof of being fully vaccinated upon entering the arena. Tonight will feel a little different for fans as Raptors great Kyle Lowry won’t be playing after leaving the team in the off-season for the Miami Heat.“Kyle is going to be in this building, part of this building, forever. You know, like that's what he stamped here. And I was texting with him last night, you know, incredible, incredible legacy that he left here” Ujiri said.
Siakam, however, will not be playing tonight as the star forward has been recovering from shoulder surgery, causing him to miss training camp and the first couple weeks of the new season.