NBA Schedule Makers Could Do More to Help Raptors as Former Players Vent Frustrations

The NBA schedule makers haven't helped the Toronto Raptors lighten the burden of international travel this season

Jan 17, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Thaddeus Young (21) comes down with a rebound against the Miami Heat during the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Supposedly, the Toronto Raptors are at a disadvantage because of customs.

There’s been no shortage of chatter about it. Former Raptors Thad Young, Lou Williams, and Rudy Gay have all spoken about how frustrating it was to deal with border security while playing in Toronto. The trio of retired players vented about the constant hassle of crossing the international border during their time with the team.

“You go through customs as an away team once if you're in a Western Conference, twice if you're in the East, when you play for the Toronto Raptors, you do it 41 times,” Williams said on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back show.

That’s not quite how it works, of course.

The Raptors don’t take 41 individual road trips. Their five-game road swing in November, for example, only required one crossing on the way out and another on the way back.

That said, certain stretches of the schedule have made things more difficult. Take their current run: a four-game road trip was followed by a quick one-game stop at home, then two more on the road. After that, another brief home game, then back out for two more. Next weekend, they’ll head to Brooklyn for a single game, return home to face Charlotte, and then hit the road again. It’s nearly a month of constant back-and-forth through customs without a proper homestand or extended road trip.

This kind of travel pattern has come up often this season.

Toronto has already played 16 games with international travel on either side, either one-game homestands or one-game road trips. Last season, that number was just 10. In the two seasons before that, it was nine and 11.

Is it a major problem? Not really.

The Raptors do a remarkable job of making the process as smooth as possible for players. Virtually every detail is handled to help make border crossings painless.

Still, considering how much frustration players have voiced over the years, the league could probably do a better job with scheduling to reduce the number of times Toronto has to go through customs.