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For the second straight season, the Raptors 905 will host the NBA G-League Showcase, a four-day, 26-game extravaganza. The event runs from January 10th to the 13th, and it’ll include all 26 G-League teams. Each squad will play two regular season games and get to show off for the army of scouts who will presumably also descend on Mississauga. With up to seven games running per day on two courts at the Hershey Centre, it’ll be a lot of basketball to take in.
Here are some thrilled quotes from the Raptors and MLSE brass from the official press release:
“We’re thrilled to work in partnership with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and Raptors 905 to bring the NBA G League Showcase back to Mississauga,” said NBA G League President Malcolm Turner. “Last year’s event proved to be successful on and off the court, and I’m looking forward to another week of great basketball and community events in the Greater Toronto Area.”
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the NBA G League back to Mississauga as the host team for NBA G League Showcase 2018,” said Raptors General Manager Bobby Webster. “The Showcase is the premier event for the G League and we look forward to working with the League to host all 26 teams this season.”
Keep in mind, January 5th is the first day NBA teams can start handing out 10-day contracts, so the G-League Showcase is an opportunity for players to catch on with the bigger clubs. Speaking of which, having the Showcase once again in the GTA suggests that Mississauga (and by extension the well-run and well-regarded 905 organization) has caught the eye of the league at large, and is becoming something of a centre (not center!) for development-level basketball. Things are happening here, people!
As pointed out in the press release, more than 50 players have gotten call-ups to the NBA during or right after the Showcase in the past 13 years. Last season it was Yogi Ferrell of the Dallas Mavericks who seemed to crop up out of nowhere after playing his heart out in Mississauga.
Anyway, the official schedule and ticket info will be released later. Keep an eye open.