In a Recent Readers’ Letters ArticleA fan asked me what the Toronto Raptors’ top 10 home games were next season, and I thought it was such a good question that I’d expand on it in a separate article. Here’s how I’d rank Toronto’s top 10 games this season if I had to shell out money for tickets.
If you haven’t seen LeBron James in person yet, you probably should soon. He’s arguably the greatest player of all time and we don’t know how many more chances we’ll get to see him play in Toronto. This is an early season game and it won’t be a back-to-back for the Lakers, so there’s a good chance James will play in this game.
There may never be a better player than James and even though he’s not at the peak of his powers anymore, you’ll want to tell your kids that you got to see James play.
Much like James, Victor Wembanyama is a must-see in person. I was in awe of him the last time he was in Toronto and if you can get into the arena early to see him warm up, it’s worth it. There’s no one else in the league like Wembanyama and he’s only going to get better.
There will surely be plenty of opportunities to see Wembanyama in the years to come, but seeing him in his NBA debut is nothing like what’s happening. If you can get tickets to this game, you should go.
It’s really about seeing Stephen Curry. Like James, Curry is heading toward the end of his career and he’s the type of one-of-a-kind player you don’t want to miss. The stands usually fill up pretty early when the Golden State Warriors are in town, with people eager to see Curry’s pregame routine.
There may not be a better player in the world right now than Nikola Jokic. If you want to see the best player in the league do things that no one else can do, this is the game you don’t want to miss. Jokic throws some truly remarkable passes and is a real pleasure to watch.
Much like Jokic, Luka Doncic is incredibly talented and it’s incredible to watch him play. The way Doncic moves around the court is unlike any other in the league. He seems to play at his own pace and has this mesmerizing ability to control opposing defenses no matter what they throw at him. Take this opportunity to see Doncic in person.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort always bring a Canadian touch to Scotiabank Arena and it’s hard to pass up the opportunity to see Gilgeous-Alexander play in person. The Thunder may be the best team in the West this year and their style of play is incredibly fun. Gilgeous-Alexander may not be as good as Doncic or Jokic, but he also moves like few other players in the league and it’s certainly fun to watch.
Kevin Durant is a tier below James and Curry on the all-time list, but the 6-foot-10 Phoenix Suns superstar is still a must-have. His combination of size and shooting ability makes him one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. With Devin Booker at his side, the Suns are one of the most entertaining offensive teams in the league and are worth the price of admission.
This probably won’t be Kyle Lowry’s last game in Toronto, but I wouldn’t leave this March 12 game against the Philadelphia 76ers to chance. If you want one last chance to see Lowry before he retires, I suggest buying tickets to the October 25 game. He hasn’t said he plans to retire after this season, but Lowry can’t have many more seasons left.
At the very least, Joel Embiid is a pretty special player and he should be healthy early in the season. The 76ers, with their new look, should be a fun team to watch, so I suggest you check this game out.
That’s simply because opening night tends to be particularly fun. From pre-game introductions to special halftime performances, there’s usually a lot of pomp surrounding the first game of the season. There’ll be plenty of optimism leading up to the Oct. 23 kickoff, and it’s a good chance to see what will hopefully be a full-strength Raptors team.
