Long before the Raptors, Toronto played a historic role in professional basketball.
On November 1, 1946, Maple Leaf Gardens at 60 Carlton Street hosted the very first game in NBA history, with the Toronto Huskies facing the New York Knickerbockers. The Huskies narrowly lost 68–66 in front of thousands of fans, marking the beginning of a league that would eventually become global.
The team itself lasted only a single season before folding, but the game remains an important chapter in both Toronto and basketball history. Tickets started at just 75 cents — and anyone taller than Huskies player George Nostrand, who stood 6 feet 8 inches, was admitted for free.