Tyreke Key echoed that sentiment, saying the Raptors 905 \u201cpreach togetherness here \u2026 and you don\u2019t see that a lot in the G League. \u2026 It\u2019s just a special place.\u201d<\/p>\n
And that sense of familial spirit has routinely extended beyond the borders of the hardwood and into the Mississauga community over the 10-plus years the Raptors 905 have called it home.<\/p>\n
Find yourself crossing paths with Courtney Charles, vice president of basketball and franchise operations for the Raptors 905 (who\u2019s been with the organization from the very beginning), and you\u2019ll immediately understand how that became a priority. Aside from greeting every single person in any room he enters, as he did on Saturday, stepping into the brand new gymnasium, Charles abides by the belief that \u201cwe as an organization realized our success is everyone else\u2019s success.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe figured that we\u2019re here to service you, and because of the service we give you, you\u2019re going to then service someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n
A closer look at the first-ever Raptors 905 practice facility. <\/p>\n
\u2013 16,000 square feet of dedicated space \u2014 Zulfi Sheikh (@zulfi_sheikh) March 14, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n That commitment to those around and outside the organization has led the Raptors 905 to earn the Community Assist award in each of the last two seasons, as noted by Shareef Abdur-Rahim, G League president and former NBA player with the Vancouver Grizzlies, who addressed the crowd in Mississauga on Saturday.<\/p>\n And make no mistake, the Raptors 905 have every intention to \u201cthree-peat,\u201d as Charles told me on Saturday. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to win everywhere \u2026 we want these men to not just be great basketball players, but (also) great people.\u201d<\/p>\n A goal that has undoubtedly been accomplished thus far.<\/p>\n Since forming, the franchise has won a G League (formerly D League) championship in 2017 and seen 27 players called up to the NBA level \u2014 some of whom helped the NBA Raptors win their own title back in 2019 and were celebrated<\/a> at the unveiling \u2014 including, most recently, three players earning two-way contracts in the span of five days<\/a> earlier this month.<\/p>\n So, after more than a decade of building not only a basketball team but also a mainstay in the local community, the City of Mississauga returned that investment in kind on Saturday. Adding to the Raptors 905\u2019s legacy as a truly unparalleled G League organization.<\/p>\n The unveiling of the 16,000 square-foot facility \u2014 steps away from the shared public court space the Raptors 905 previously used at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre sportsplex \u2014 marked the first-ever NBA-sized regulation court built exclusively for any G League franchise. The gymnasium can accommodate up to 360 people at once and includes state-of-the-art locker rooms, training space and a players\u2019 lounge.<\/p>\n All of which was made possible thanks to a 12-year partnership agreement \u2014 backdating to September 2024 \u2014 between the Raptors 905, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and the City of Mississauga. The $12.8 million cost of the new facility was split amongst the partners, of which the Raptors covered $5.8 million.<\/p>\n An investment that Mississauga mayor Carolyn Parrish is confident will reap positive benefits for all parties.<\/p>\n \u201cThis facility demonstrates the importance of sports in Mississauga.\u00a0With it, we are raising our health and our sport in a really tangible way,\u201d Parrish said on Saturday. \u201cThis new gym is a big win for us and will benefit both Raptors 905 as their new practice facility while also offering access for residents.\u201d<\/p>\n The gymnasium will be a shared amenity between MLSE and the City of Mississauga, routinely allocated to several basketball development camps and community groups during the basketball season and off-season.<\/p>\n The grand-opening festivities wrapped up with a Raptors 905-led basketball clinic that featured participants from multiple local community groups, including Erin Mills Youth Centre, the Mississauga Monarchs and PDM Basketball.<\/p>\n Also taking part in the clinic were the children of second-year Raptors 905 head coach Drew Jones III, who couldn\u2019t help but smile when I asked him how excited he was to make use of the new space.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a ton of buzz,\u201d Jones explained. \u201cWe initially took (the players) into our old practice facility, and we didn\u2019t tell them that this was available yet. And then we ushered them over, and they loved it.\u00a0They walked in with big smiles \u2026\u00a0I mean, this is special,\u00a0not many NBA G League teams have this, and our guys truly appreciate it.<\/p>\n \u201cIt shows the commitment to development, and really providing the resources in a facility like this to empower our players and chase greatness \u2026 they\u2019ve done an incredible job with this.\u201d<\/p>\n Jones, after leading the Raptors 905 to the best start in G League history (16-0) and a No. 1 seed in the Tip-Off Tournament, has his team sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference through the regular season and in position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2022.<\/p>\n CHECK OUT OFF THE ROSTER \u2013 NEW EPISODES EVERY WEEKDAY Off The Roster is Toronto sports. Hosted by Cabbie Richards, Lindsay Dunn, and Dan Riccio, this is the go-to morning conversation for everything happening in the 6ix \u2013 Hockey, Baseball, Basketball and everything in between. From breakout performances and questionable trades to throwback jerseys, viral moments, and the stories fans are actually talking about\u2014it\u2019s smart, sharp, and never scripted. Live weekday mornings on the Nation Network YouTube channel<\/a> and available wherever you stream podcasts, the show delivers real opinions, real chemistry, and real Toronto energy. Missed an episode? Catch up anytime. Off The Roster\u2014The new sound of the 6ix.<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2013 Can accommodate up to 360 people at once
\u2013 First G League team to have an NBA regulation-size court built exclusively for them. https:\/\/t.co\/pqWNELGDfq<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/V712byOzgn<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/OTR-100-GRA_Promos-727x404-black-1.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n