NBA Announces Plans to Honor Raptors in Montreal

The NBA announced its new Maison NBA set to debut in Montreal ahead of the Toronto Raptors 30th season this year

Oct 12, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; The Oklahoma City Thunder mascot during the fourth quarter of the game against the Detroit Pistons at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

The NBA is kicking off celebrations for the Toronto Raptors' 30th season in an exciting way next month.

The league announced its plans for "Maison NBA," an interactive and free cultural experience set to debut in Montreal from Friday, Oct. 4 to Sunday, Oct. 6. The event is planned in conjunction with Toronto's preseason game against the Washington Wizards in Montreal on Oct. 6.

The event will feature Raptors legend Vince Carter alongside Raptors fan favorite Jerome "Junkyard Dog" Williams and WNBA veteran and Canadian Women’s National Team member Natalie Achonwa who will be on hand in Montreal.

"Maison NBA will celebrate the intersection of basketball, art, music, tech and fashion through 12,000 square feet of interactive elements, on-court basketball activities and photo opportunities for fans of all ages," the league announced in a press release.

The event will take place at Crew Collective & Café in Old Montréal with the Raptors set to tipoff their preseason at the Bell Centre at 7:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 6.

The announcement is just the latest in what's expected to be a series of events planned throughout the year to honor Toronto's 30th anniversary season. The team has already released a new logo for the year and is expected to bring back its purple color scheme to pay homage to its Raptors roots.

Carter will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame later in the month with his enshrinement scheduled for Oct. 13-14 in Springfield, Mass. Toronto is expected to honor Carter in some fashion this season, though nothing has officially been announced.