Unvaccinated NBA players allowed to play in Toronto this season

Visiting NBA players will be allowed to play games in Toronto this season regardless of their vaccination status under a National Interest Exemption, according to Sportsnet's Michael Grange.

The exemption will allow unvaccinated players to enter Canada, but they're required to be tested for COVID-19 upon entry and will be restricted to their hotel and Scotiabank Arena.

"The orders exempt a foreign national whose presence in Canada, in the opinion of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, or the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, is in the national interest," the Canadian government notes.

MLB is using the same policy for opposing teams that play the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Raptors spent last season playing their home games in Tampa, Florida, due to COVID-19 protocols causing the closure of the United States-Canada border. The club's season opener on Oct. 4 against the Philadelphia 76ers will mark the Raptors' first game in Toronto since Feb. 28, 2020.