Toronto Raptors Set to Play on Christmas Day, Host Boston Celtics

The Toronto Raptors have done it.

If winning an NBA championship was the franchise’s greatest accomplishment, this announcement is right behind it. The Raptors will not only be playing, but will be hosting a Christmas day game per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. On December 25th, the Raptors will take on the Boston Celtics at the Scotiabank Arena.

“Obviously that’s a huge platform and stage, but we don’t control that,” Raptors guard Fred VanVleet said last December. “I don’t think the mark of being a great team is playing on Christmas. I don’t think that’s any indication. It’s probably a business move and a chess move (by the NBA’s big thinkers), but we know we’re one of the top teams in the league and don’t care about that.”

Well Freddy, you got the game you wanted!

For years, Raptors fans have felt insecure due to some sort of inferiority complex, feeling that the Raptors are constantly being slighted by the League for being a Canadian franchise. As silly as these insecurities may be, Raptors fans can now rest easy for the remainder of the Summer knowing that they will be skipping out on Christmas day activities to finally be able to watch the Raptors play on a day loaded with marquee matchups.

In other news, another important Raptors game was announced on Friday. Reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard will be returning to Toronto for the first time since departing from the team in free agency on December 11th.

One would hope that load management will not keep Leonard out of the matchup.