Title: As the Raptors and Grizzlies prepare for a throwback, where is the Naismith Cup?
Date: August 7, 2020
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic Toronto, I explored the history – and mystery – of The Naismith Cup, an old Canadian basketball relic that seems to be missing.
It started out as most of these things do: With an ill-advised tweet.
On July 13 when the NBA announced the schedule for its restart games, the eyes of Toronto Raptors fans narrowed on an Aug. 9 date with the Memphis Grizzlies. In recent years following the franchise’s move from Vancouver to Memphis, Canada’s former second team has morphed into, well, Canada’s second team. Armed with a roster featuring former Raptors fan favourite Jonas Valanciunas, exciting Canadians Dillon Brooks and Brandon Clarke, and other former Raptors such as Delon Wright, C.J. Miles and Bruno Caboclo — the Grizzlies have become a natural Western Conference rooting interest for Raptors fans.
Best of all, the league also announced that the Sunday matinee would be a throwback affair of sorts. The Raptors would wear their newly reintroduced white pinstripe throwback from their inaugural seasons (voted in 2018 as the second-best Raptors jersey in an unofficial poll), while the Grizzlies would wear their teal alternate with “Vancouver” above “Grizzlies” across the chest.
Being as I am, I couldn’t leave well-enough alone. And so I sent a tweet that sent me on the kind of wild goose chase I’d only been warned I’d get into when I entered the NBA Twitter Private Eye game.
Blake Murphy Sports Writing 