Ex-Raptors player delivers blunt response to Thad Young's comments about Toronto

So the other day, I wrote a piece about former Raptors veteran wing Thad Young, who appeared on a podcast with some choice words about his time living in Toronto. Needless to say, those in Raptors Nation were less than pleased to hear what Young had to say.

While he may not have directly insulted the city, his comments were certainly provocative enough to stir up the fanbase on social media. This certainly isn’t the first time we've seen such a reaction when someone shares controversial opinions about Toronto (or in this referred case, it's coach and players).

Well, fast forward just a few days later, and here we have another ex-Raptor who has something to say about the city and a direct response to Young's remarks, albeit in a much more acceptable light for those in the Raptors fan community. This time around, it’s Charlie Villanueva, a power forward who was drafted by the Toronto Raptors with the 7th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft.

Although Villanueva would only spend his rookie year with the Raptors, it was still an eventful, albeit short, stint. He made a strong case for the Rookie of the Year award and ultimately earned a spot on the All-Rookie First Team.

And despite his brief time in Toronto, Villanueva took the opportunity during his podcast appearance to praise the city and reflect on his experience there. He also candidly mentioned a few inconveniences that come with the gig but remained gracious in his responses, all things considered.

You can listen to Villanueva's comments in the sourced X clip attached below:

Charlie Villanueva chimes in on recent Thad Young comments about Toronto

Now, while Villanueva’s comments were largely taken in a more positive light, that didn’t stop some in the replies from taking offense to what he referred to as the “inconveniences” of playing in Canada. He mentioned his dislike of having to cross the border often, deal with pesky customs, and pay taxes—or as they put it, being “double taxed.”

What I think many people in the replies were trying to say or argue is that many NBA players can be primadonnas, especially when you consider that these are multimillion-dollar athletes complaining about the small nuisances that come with their otherwise dream jobs.

Is it a valid argument? Sure, I can definitely understand the contempt that fans might have for players who complain about this sort of thing, but I can also see it from the athletes' perspective as well.

Take the issue of how hard it is to attract players—not even stars, just role players or veterans—to play in Toronto. It’s often the case that many are turned away from the prospect of playing here simply because they don’t want to relocate or deal with another country’s rules and customs, the weather, and that type of thing.

This isn’t something new; I think many Raptors fans have been aware of this trend for a while, but it's only now that, for some reason, ex-players are beginning to voice their opinions.

I mean, be honest. I know for a fact that, especially right now with all the tensions, I would not want to be jumping ship back and forth between Canada and the United States. It's not an ideal scenario, but if it came with the job, you just put up with it, much like Villanueva said.

I guess we’ll just have to see who has something to say about Toronto next?