While for some Toronto Raptors fans, seeing their team miss out on Christmas Day has become a routine, the Dino’s missing out on 2026 feels different. The Raptors have only played twice on Christmas Day in the team's 27-year history, the first coming in 2001, in a 102-94 loss to the New York Knicks. The second time came in 2019 in another loss, 118-102 to the Boston Celtics.
With the potential reacquisition of Kawhi Leonard, many fans expected the Raptors to be one of the 10 featured teams this Christmas.
That didn’t happen. Maybe it’s just the Canadian in me that makes me connect dots and build up my own anxiety and worry about absolutely everything. But it is worth considering that Leonard and Toronto were left off the slate because of the pending investigation.
Now, in no world am I suggesting that I expect said investigation to continue into the regular season and carry all the way to Christmas. What I am suggesting is that the punishment Leonard faces could keep him out until, or even after, the holiday season.
This doesn't feel like Toronto's normal Christmas Day snub
According to my math and with the help of the internet, I project that, on average, every NBA team plays around 13.5 games per month. With the season tipping off on October 20, Toronto’s first game will likely be between the 21st and 23rd. Meaning, if Toronto does play around 13.5 games over the league's first two months, by December 25 they will be around 25-30 games into their season.
That is very interesting because, when looking at suspensions in recent years, we’ve seen players typically suspended for a maximum of 25 games, e.g., Paul George last season. The difference is that, for Leonard, given how long this investigation has taken (almost a year) and the severity of the claims made against him, a suspension could very well exceed 25 games.
What possible reason could Adam Silver have for not wanting Toronto on their Christmas Day slate this year, other than something relating back to Leonard?
They check every box.
The Raptors have an emerging young star in Scottie Barnes, Leonard coming off a top-10 finish in MVP voting, recognizable names, and they made the playoffs last season. On top of that, they also have history with other Eastern Conference contenders and teams around the league. You could have had another chapter of LeBron vs Toronto, while also getting Embiid versus the Raptors and LeBron vs Kawhi.
Similar situation with Miami: you could have seen Giannis vs Kawhi, the rematch from the 2019 Conference Finals. Or even Boston or New York, who have been rivals of Toronto throughout the franchise’s history.
I’m not Pablo Torre and definitely not one of the lawyers the NBA has assigned to this Kawhi investigation. I’m simply a young guy theorizing and writing down his thoughts into a Google Doc while I sip my morning coffee. Fans can continue to use the excuse they used for years that the NBA hates Canada and that’s why Toronto didn’t get a Christmas Day game for the 30th time. But the clues are there, and for someone like me, I choose to believe there’s something more.
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