OT: Could an NBA Team Thrive in Montreal? And if so, What Would we Name Them?

[Cobra Commander]

I was watching the NBA draft, and i also had watched a few games in the finals and saw the Warriors take it all. I hadn't watched Basketball in a long time. Don't get me wrong i love Hockey... But i was amaized at how entertaining Basketball is. It's a constant flow of entertainment, it's incredible.

My team name:

Montreal Ballers

They would sell millions of jerseys in the USA with a name like that lol.

The NBA is an English based league, therefore the French language would have no bearing on the team management, it would be a totally different situation than the Habs org. And realistically, the team will have an English or bilingual name.

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[Malmo]

Honestly I think it would be more successful than a baseball team.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

The Montreal Hopefuls?

 

[Cobra Commander]

Honestly I think it would be more successful than a baseball team.

I would like both but i agree.

 

[Redux91]

We could 100% have an NFL team
NBA maybe
Baseball no, as much as i want them back

to me montreal could EASILY fill up 50 000 seats 8 times a year every sunday, no doubt
Basketball, theyd be playing in the bell center, it COULD work, but need the die hard fans..might be lacking
And then baseball ... i dont see us filling 50k seats enough on tuesdays..wednesdays...thursdays... 81 ..times?

 

[Cobra Commander]

We could 100% have an NFL team
NBA maybe
Baseball no, as much as i want them back

to me montreal could EASILY fill up 50 000 seats 8 times a year every sunday, no doubt
Basketball, theyd be playing in the bell center, it COULD work, but need the die hard fans..might be lacking
And then baseball ... i dont see us filling 50k seats enough on tuesdays..wednesdays...thursdays... 81 ..times?

Yes NFL would be a sellout as well, i would jump on season tickets, i think they would sell out the first day. But i don't ever see the NFL coming to Canada.

 

[justafan22]

I would like both but i agree.

I'm from Toronto, is the demographics similar to toronto's in term of ethnic population? Cause if it is, NBA is way more popular and could thrive amongst the under 30 year olds.

 

[Redux91]

Yes NFL would be a sellout as well, i would jump on season tickets, i think they would sell out the first day. But i don't ever see the NFL coming to Canada.

Not until the CFL disapears, folds, or becomes the official minor leagues of the NFL. no

And Toronto would have to get the first team, which im absolutely fine with if it got the ball rolling

 

[Cobra Commander]

I'm from Toronto, is the demographics similar to toronto's in term of ethnic population? Cause if it is, NBA is way more popular and could thrive amongst the under 30 year olds.

Oh yes Montreal is very diverse. A world class city.

 

[justafan22]

Oh yes Montreal is very diverse. A world class city.

then yeah, NBA should do fine. Tons of immigrants prefer it to NHL/MLB

 

[Cobra Commander]

Not until the CFL disapears, folds, or becomes the official minor leagues of the NFL. no

And Toronto would have to get the first team, which im absolutely fine with if it got the ball rolling

Yes i agree, but let's disband the CFL and add 3 NFL teams off the bat, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver. No other Canadian cities would be NFL compatible anyways.

 

[Laurentide]

We could 100% have an NFL team
NBA maybe
Baseball no, as much as i want them back

to me montreal could EASILY fill up 50 000 seats 8 times a year every sunday, no doubt
Basketball, theyd be playing in the bell center, it COULD work, but need the die hard fans..might be lacking
And then baseball ... i dont see us filling 50k seats enough on tuesdays..wednesdays...thursdays... 81 ..times?

Basketball will never work in Montreal and anything going on at the Bell Centre would have to involve the Habs, who proved with the PK situation that they have no idea how to relate to outsized personalities. Well, if they think Subban is "out there", wait til they get a load of all those "individualistic" NBA ballers. The only NBA team they could relate to is the 1981 Boston Celtics: mostly white and polite.

As for baseball it would not and will not be necessary for the Expos V 2.0 to draw 50K for every game or even play in a stadium with a capacity that large. The Jays probably average around or under 30K per game and teams like Pittsburgh have parks which seat fewer than 40K. MLB isn't a gate-driven sport like the CFL. They have good money coming in on their broadcast deals.

 

[Redux91]

Yes i agree, but let's disband the CFL and add 3 NFL teams off the bat, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver. No other Canadian cities would be NFL compatible anyways.

ive been saying this for years lol, and it would be MAX 3 teams, but vancouver is a big maybe tho, but i have absolutely 0 doubt it would work in toronto and montreal, 0 doubt.

 

[scrubadam]

I don't think so.

I don't know if there is enough money in the city. Its one thing for corporations to support the Habs they are an institution, but is there enough extra for these companies to throw down $$$ for a b ball team? I don' think so. And if you can't sign these guys to there 20 Mill a year deals then the team will just be a bottom feeder anyways. Top it off that the NBA is the worst for parity and Montreal is a bandwagon city I don't see it going over well.

And flame away but Quebec is kinda racist. Not sure how many people in this province would be willing to support a team made up of mainly African Americans with zero french representation from top to bottom. I mean where are we going to find a french GM and french coach, and forget about any french players on the team.

 

[Redux91]

Basketball will never work in Montreal and anything going on at the Bell Centre would have to involve the Habs, who proved with the PK situation that they have no idea how to relate to outsized personalities. Well, if they think Subban is "out there", wait til they get a load of all those "individualistic" NBA ballers. The only NBA team they could relate to is the 1981 Boston Celtics: mostly white and polite.

As for baseball it would not and will not be necessary for the Expos V 2.0 to draw 50K for every game or even play in a stadium with a capacity that large. The Jays probably average around or under 30K per game and teams like Pittsburgh have parks which seat fewer than 40K. MLB isn't a gate-driven sport like the CFL. They have good money coming in on their broadcast deals.

So explain to me how drawing 8k fans per game will be enough for baseball lol

also i dont like what your insinuating about on the basketball topic, montreal canadiens would have absolutely 0 control of anything NBA related, and you're making it sound like the whole organization is racist.

 

[Cobra Commander]

ive been saying this for years lol, and it would be MAX 3 teams, but vancouver is a big maybe tho, but i have absolutely 0 doubt it would work in toronto and montreal, 0 doubt.

Vancouver is the only maybe, but maybe we are underestimating the draw power of the NFL, nice rival city in Seatle, lot's of Americans will be coming to games as well.

 

[le_sean]

The Montreal “Where is Our Baseball Team First”

 

[Cobra Commander]

Basketball will never work in Montreal and anything going on at the Bell Centre would have to involve the Habs, who proved with the PK situation that they have no idea how to relate to outsized personalities. Well, if they think Subban is "out there", wait til they get a load of all those "individualistic" NBA ballers. The only NBA team they could relate to is the 1981 Boston Celtics: mostly white and polite.

As for baseball it would not and will not be necessary for the Expos V 2.0 to draw 50K for every game or even play in a stadium with a capacity that large. The Jays probably average around or under 30K per game and teams like Pittsburgh have parks which seat fewer than 40K. MLB isn't a gate-driven sport like the CFL. They have good money coming in on their broadcast deals.

I think you are way off about the Basketball, like planets away off, but your are welcome to your opinion.

 

[jaffy27]

I’d name them the Montreal Orange Cones

 

[PuckSeparator]

Of course it would, this city is way more multicultural than some people realize. Getting big celebrities like LBJ, Steph Curry and others coming into town would be big stuff. I honestly think it has a higher chance of working here than it did in Vancouver.

 

[Luigi Habs]

Honestly I think it would be more successful than a baseball team.

I don’t think so. Basketball is not in Quebecois culture for wtv reason. It’s a much more entertaining sport than Baseball though. I’d go watch few games if Mtl was to have an NBA team. I would not go watch a baseball game even if you paid me to go.

 

[DanM]

Yep, Montreal is a world class city, and I visit often from Toronto for work, and I always enjoy. It is also very diverse. I think it would do very well, and I would love to see both MLB and NBA in it.

I could be wrong, correct me if so, but I see NBA working, and we also have a lot of Euros in the NBA, they would love it me thinks.

 

[Montrealer]

The baseball vs basketball argument is a weird one for me.

I don't watch basketball, but it doesn't really impact a baseball team - they do overlap due to the length of seasons but realistically baseball is a summer sport (which is why they NEED a downtown stadium that is open-air/opens for it to work), while basketball is a winter sport that plays in an arena.

The question is if there's enough interest to support both the Habs and the NBA. Baseball doesn't really enter the equation.

 

[DanM]

I do agree that the NFL would be MASSIVE successes in both Montreal and Toronto, just gotta do something with the CFL lol

 

[walsy37]

The Warriors are entertaining, basketball is not.

The contrast between the last minute of a hockey game down by one and a basketball game down by a bucket could not be greater. One game is edge of your seat and one game slows down the pace.