toronto best nba city

Two more NBA stars just said Toronto is one of the best cities in the league

Boston Celtics stars Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis consider Toronto to be a top-three city in the NBA, joining a growing list of basketball greats to shout out the energy and nightlife in Canada's largest city.

Toronto-born Celtics forward Oshae Brissett, who played a brief stint for his hometown Raptors during the 2019-2020 season, was in town on Monday when the Raps hosted Boston. The 25-year-old creates vlogs during his off-court time, posting a "24 hours in Toronto" video documenting the recent road trip.

A clip from Brissett's nine-and-a-half-minute video features Celtics stars Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis shouting out Toronto as a top-three city in the league, with Porzingis taking it a step further, calling it the second-best city in the NBA.

Some NBA players may grumble about the passport requirements, but others in the league — past and present — have spoken highly of the city. Players like Richard Jefferson, Tyler Hansbrough, and even legends like Kevin Garnett and LeBron James, have all praised Toronto as one of the most exciting of the 30 cities in the league.

Aside from those huge shoutouts from NBA stars, Brissett's vlog shows off plenty of local landmarks, including the team bus rolling past Okonomi House, players staying at the Four Seasons, and buying a new jacket at luxury menswear boutique Stone Island in Yorkville.

But the highlight is Brissett riding the TTC subway for the very first time, in complete amazement as he taps onto a Presto machine using his phone and boards a Line 2 train at Bay Station.

"I don't know how I've never been on a train before. That's actually kind of nuts. Definitely taken the TTC bus before, but not the train."

However, Brissett's enjoyment of public transit seemed to come to an abrupt halt when a screaming child shook up the peaceful commute.

After a transfer onto Line 1, Brissett disembarks the TTC to arrive at the soon-to-be-renamed Yonge-Dundas Square to walk to Nathan Phillips Square for a view of the famous Toronto sign. And, yes, you are all probably screaming internally that he should have gotten off the train at Queen instead of Dundas.

Brissett's time spent south of the border is clearly rubbing off on him, as he stated he needed to find a CVS before realizing that the pharmacy brand doesn't operate in Canada and settling on a Shoppers Drug Mart.

The harsh cold temperatures eventually cut Brissett's night short, but not before a stop at celebrity hotspot Akira Back.

The Raptors would fall 105-96 to the Celtics on Monday, with Brissett logging seven points and three rebounds in seven minutes of action against his former team.

Lead photo by

BobNoah/Shutterstock


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