|
TORONTO - Masai Ujiri and Tim Leiweke envision a training facility that will be both the talk of the NBA and a home to young Canadian players — a "Field of Dreams" facility that they say will help bring basketballs best to Toronto. Ujiri and Leiweke unveiled plans on Friday for the $30-million practice facility that will be built on the grounds of Exhibition Place, pending a city council vote on Wednesday. The deal for the 65,000 square-foot facility, which is set to open in time for the 2016 NBA all-star game in Toronto, was approved unanimously by the citys executive committee on Wednesday. "One of the major reasons were building this is to keep our guys, so for a guy like Kyle Lowry (who signed a multi-year deal in July), he knows exactly what were doing here and that was important to his thinking about the commitment that this ownership group has made toward our basketball team," said Leiweke, the outgoing CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. MLSEs soccer club Toronto FC practises at the KIA Training Ground just north of downtown Toronto, while the MasterCard Centre just west of downtown is the training home of hockeys Maple Leafs and Marlies. The Raptors practise and play at the ACC, where players have the added off-day hassle of concert crowds or hockey games, and the training room is so small that Ujiri said three players getting treatment is a crowd. Ujiri and his staff took a peek in top facilities across North America to gather ideas. "We took ideas from everybody," said the Raptors GM. "Masai turned out to be a really good thief," Leiweke added. "We visited the best facilities in football and basketball, pro and college, and I think I went to maybe five or six of them. I know combined, my whole staff, we probably went to 12 or 13 of them, which is awesome," Ujiri said. "We get to see the University of Oregon, its spectacular, you cant even believe thats a college. You go to some of these facilities, you go to the Clevelands (the Cavaliers training ground), you go to the University of Virginias. . . theres some really good new high-performance centres that you can really take a lot out of." The two-storey facility will be available for groups such as the Ontario Basketball Association and Canada Basketball, and its been a long time coming, said Leiweke and Ujiri, for a basketball-mad city that has boasted the last two NBA No. 1 draft picks in Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins. Leiweke arrived in Toronto from Los Angeles, where "you have all these great meccas" of basketball such as the Lakers Toyota Training Centre and USCs Pauley Pavilion. "Now name me what people think of when they talk about the great breeding grounds, the great facilities when you think about Bennett and Wiggins and all those kids playing," Leiweke said. "And Canada Basketball has no home," he added. "They are vagabonds. This gives us a place ultimately to make a statement about what kids can aspire to be and where they want to play. I think this will have as big an impact on amateur basketball as it will on what (Ujiri) is trying to do with the Raptors." Opening its doors in time for the all-star game was key. "For the guys (Ujiri) wants to get here, whoever that might be, theyre all going to be here during all-star week. It is great we get to showcase this to an entire league in 2016, and that bodes very well in making people understand the kind of organization we aspire to be now," Leiweke said. "Its huge to keep players and to get players." Leiweke met with the media a day after he confirmed he was leaving his job as CEO of MLSE as of next June at the latest, but said he didnt regret the timing of the announcement. "I think the reason were doing this today is to prove that this is business as usual, we plow straight ahead, and anyone that has been in this organization for the past 16 months and has seen what were doing here, what they understand very clearly is that ripple caused more of a ripple in the media and the public," Leiweke said. "But internally here, we plow straight ahead and we are as damned and determined as every to finish our mission statement here. "So there will be not one change in our attitude and that wont change in our commitment and our dedication to getting our projects done, and this is one of my highest priorities." .Y. -- Syracuses streak lives on -- barely. . -- The Denver Broncos locked up a shutdown cornerback, only his name wasnt Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. . LOUIS - Two-thirds of the St. . His big 2-minute outburst in the fourth quarter Tuesday night is all that really mattered for the Dallas Mavericks. . The Maple Leafs may not have had a pick until the third round, but they have made the biggest move of the second day of the Draft, dealing defenceman Carl Gunnarsson and a fourth-round pick in the draft to the St. Dont get me wrong still like zoos! But I prefer penguins! pic.twitter.com/xtdT2P9qTd — Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) July 28, 2014 Had the strangest dream last night! Not sure if it really happened! pic.twitter.com/1ZFXWfO6vi — Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) August 8, 2014Exhibit B - The Doc enjoys creating narratives on the subject of his traveling bobblehead My wife says my head got bigger over time, didnt believe her till now! Not sure where hes going but Ill follow!!! pic.twitter.com/0dJt8804ho — Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) August 7, 2014 Ok I just broke off the right arm of the bobble head. Will be 6-8 min to tape him up. Stuffed him in my bag getting a bit to embarrassing!!! — Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) August 7, 2014 On his way to the airport got his bag of double stuff Oreos and fishn mags! See a Phils game and maybe the zoo??? pic.twitter.com/U9OIW3lqkv — Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) August 7, 2014 Hope yall had fun w/ the bobble head skit, you do what you have to for the worlds best sports fans! I wont ever be spotted again w/ myself — Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) August 8, 2014Exhibit C - Hes honest about his ice cream ladened post-retirement diet House security cam got my new diet! Its healthy if you eat every flavor right? I love, is this really roy? #notrobot pic.twitter.com/h8lkfYkD6I — Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) July 27, 2014Exhibit D - Hes also honest about why he takes selfies in front of his plane Check 1,2, check 1,2 is thing on? Honestly just checkn for nose hair! Dont act like you havent... #bad selfies pic.twitter.com/0DDUcZ1Pr9 — Roy Halladay ((@RoyHalladay) July 13, 2014Exhibit E - He knows how to work the perks of being a high profile athlete Just checking in.dddddddddddd Have the same agent as Will Myers @CAA_Baseball He has a Chipotle card with his name on it! I cant get a Taco Bell card? — Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) June 12, 2014 pic.twitter.com/pmGM08e1wU — Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) August 1, 2014 Exhibit F - Hes got two awesome guard dogs and three even more awesome cars Our tough guard dog! Having a blast antique shopping! Dont worry I have a big mean dog to! pic.twitter.com/5aFK9Oitvr — Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) June 16, 2014 Told you I have a mean dog! Sometimes you antique shop to keep the wife happy! I fit right in with old worn out stuff pic.twitter.com/ntbVoNbGVs — Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) June 16, 2014 This post is purely to get my man card back after back to back dog posts! Washed my cars few days ago an ate steak! pic.twitter.com/dtzuHJkpvg — Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) June 17, 2014Exhibit G - The Doc knows how to go incognito on a dime A bud of mine stepped in for me at our tourney due to overwhelming signature request! Was a distraction for our kids! pic.twitter.com/JwJrrgyxoJ — Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) July 4, 2014Exhibit H - He captioned his own photo with a quote from Step Brothers Somebody touched my drum set!! I told you not to touch my drum set!!! I know you touched my drum set!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/BqerW3pp4I — Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) July 14, 2014The judge rules in favour of "its about time you follow the Doc on twitter." Case closed. ' ' 'ount for Martinez Ramos considered Utd bid ' ' '
|
