I don't doubt that winning can keep butts in seats either, but the odds are stacked against both of them. Vancouver is an extremely fickle sports town and Montreal is the highest taxed market in all of North America. I just don't see any superstars signing up to play in either market to make it a perennially winning franchise.I agree NBA isn't giving a team to Canada but I think NBA team can sell out in Vancouver or Montreal.
At first.
They need to win to maintain it though.
I mean when do we ever see smaller market NBA franchises make noise in the playoffs? Never. They cant compete with the big boys and I foresee any new Canadian franchises going through the exact same thing.
I don’t think the NBA is an ideal league for Canada. It’s too superstar driven and at the grassroots level, it just isn’t there to build a loyal season ticket fanbase for decades to come.
Losing every year isn’t fun and the occasional game you get to a legit superstar won’t be enough gate revenue to justify the franchise price tag. I think Mexico City gets a team before a second Canadian franchise IMO.