Holding training camp 3000 KM away an excellent decision

The intense media spotlight on professional athletes that play in Toronto can be intimidating and often create a toxic environment in the dressing room. Holding Raptors training camp far away from the spotlight has turned out to be an excellent decision.

The Raptors held their 2017 training camp in Victoria, BC at the University of Victoria which is far away from the intense media spotlight that is professional sports in the city of Toronto.

This has proven to be one of the better decisions the team has made in some time.

Having the team 3000 kilometres away from The6ix has allowed the players to focus solely on basketball and kept them away from the large media swarms that happen when they’re in Toronto.

There were no questions about Colin Kaepernick or Donald Trump that can shine a negative spotlight on the team or their ownership.

There were no questions about how Kyrie Irving playing for the Boston Celtics effects them or if they feel they have closed the gap this offseason on LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers that could create bulletin board material for the Eastern Conference opponents.

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The pundits who cover the Raptors for Sportsnet and TSN will rarely pressure or criticize the players with any questions of substance out of personal fear for their job security and the fact that they’re in business with the team. So their presence in BC at the Raptors camp was neither here nor there.

All the coverage from the local BC media was very light and friendly because they were just happy to see the Raptors players and coaches in their town.

The majority of questions posed to the Raptor players and coaches was very light in nature which included, “What did you think of CJ Miles footwork?” As well as “What are your memories of the Vancouver Grizzlies?”

The entire week in Victoria turned out to be a love fest of sorts between the players, fans and media in attendance.

The Raptors held their intra-squad game last night to a sold out crowd of 2700 people at the University of Victoria where people were lining up at noon for the 7pm (local time) tip-off.

The media coverage that surrounds the Raptors has yet to reach the feverish temperature that surrounds the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs players are subject to such intense scrutiny that it has affected the teams ability to sign big name players who are from the Toronto area because they want no part of that kind of attention.

The likes Steven Stamkos, Rick Nash and John Tavares wanted nothing to do with a return home to play for Leafs partly because of the 24-7 coverage that surrounds the team.

TORONTO, ON – MAY 16: Toronto Maple Leafs Phil Kessel talks to media at the end of the Maple Leafs season at the ACC. (Vince Talotta/Toronto Star via Getty Images) /

That type of coverage has yet to fully extend to the Raptors players but they can often be subject to much more intense media coverage than many other cities in the NBA.

None of that was evident this past week in Victoria.

The Raptors will head even further away from Toronto to play a pair of exhibition games in Hawaii on Oct 1 and Oct 3 against the LA Clippers before heading to Portland on Thursday Oct 5 to play the Trailblazers.

The team returns home on Oct 10 to play their only exhibition game on home soil against the Pistons before they head off to Chicago on Friday the 13th to play their final preseason game against the Bulls.

Next: Raptors are truly Canada's team.

The move out west for training camp has helped the team slide a little under the radar in advance of the NBA season which can only be good for the players and coaches.

Lets hope that relaxed BC attitude translates into a better performance on the court come Oct 19 and into the early part of the NBA season.

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