Former Raptors GM Glen Grunwald is "still lobbying" to have an NBA game played in St. John's, Newfoundland, "even though he is no longer working in the league," according to Robert MacLeod of the GLOBE & MAIL. The Raptors played at Mile One Centre on Oct. 23, 2003, but the event was cut short when "condensation had built up on the wooden floor." Grunwald at the time said, "I will make you one promise. The Toronto Raptors will return to this arena and play a game within two years." Grunwald "has recently been in contact with the Raptors, NBA Canada and businessmen in St. John’s, trying to drum up support to bring an NBA game to the East Coast." But the idea "has yet to be acted upon." Grunwald said, "I'm just trying to deliver on a promise -- that's all I'm trying to do. And it makes good sense, too, because there's great folks out there in Newfoundland and they really like basketball." MacLeod notes the league through its NBA Canada Series "stages exhibition games every year in Canada." The Raptors played at Rogers Arena in Vancouver and the Bell Centre in Montreal during the '14 preseason. NBA Canada VP & GM Dan MacKenzie said that while he "would never rule out St. John’s to host an NBA game, it is premature to state right now the location of any future league endeavours." MacLeod notes Grunwald, while working for the Knicks in summer '13, "thought it was all going to fall into place" after he "had secured an agreement" with the Wizards to play an exhibition game in St. John's. But he was "abruptly fired from his New York job." Without Grunwald's presence, there was "no real reason for the Knicks or the Wizards to play a game in St. John’s, and the event was scuttled" (GLOBE & MAIL, 11/4).
