It has been almost two decades since there was a team in the NBA other than the Toronto Raptors to call Canada their home, and of course, the efforts to bring a team back to Vancouver have generated the odd headline here and there since.
A new city has thrown their hat into the ring as well. The Canadian Press reports that former federal cabinet minister Michael Fortier and sports consultant Kevin Gilmore held a press briefing on Wednesday to announce their intentions of bringing a NBA team to Montreal.
"Fortier said Wednesday he has spoken to NBA commissioner Adam Silver about Montreal’s basketball dream.
“Although the NBA and its commissioner have made it clear to us that they currently have no plans to expand the league, we have taken the decision to prepare for when expansion does take place, because we believe it will take place,” Fortier told a news conference.
...Fortier estimated the NBA franchise would cost between $1.5 billion (U.S.) and $2 billion, but no public funding would be required.
He said Montreal Canadiens owner Geoff Molson is open to the idea of having an NBA team play at the Canadiens’ home, the Bell Centre."
Though commissioner Adam Silver has stressed the importance of ensuring league parity before adding new teams, expansion rumors have been active over the last few years especially as the NBA’s business continues to boom.
Montreal is hardly considered a hotspot for basketball, but on Wednesday, the Raptors were able to pack the Bell Centre for an exhibition game against the Brooklyn Nets. Their preseason roster includes a Montreal native in Chris Boucher, who had a brief stint last season with the Golden State Warriors and received a standing ovation from the crowd before exiting after six minutes with an injury.
A good deal of distance separates having a meeting with the commissioner and actually bringing a team to Montreal, but for a city that wasn’t previously regarded as a potential NBA destination, this certainly is a development of note.
h/t Toronto Star
