"I loved Toronto": Yuta Watanabe thanks Raptors fans for their support

He wasn’t in Toronto long, but the city remains close to his heart.

Yuta Watanabe penned an open letter in the Players’ Tribune today titled “Dear Brooklyn and Toronto,” speaking directly to his new team, and his old one.

Watanabe spoke glowingly about the Toronto Raptors in the article, which was written in Japanese and translated to English.

The 28-year-old native of Kagawa, Japan played two seasons for the Raptors, spending just one season living in Toronto due to the pandemic. Despite playing just 11.7 minutes per game in 2021-22, Watanabe quickly became a fan favourite in Toronto.

And the city, in turn, became a favourite of his.

“I loved Toronto. It was a big city, but also had a peacefulness,” said Watanabe. “It was wonderful, there were lakes and lots of natural beauty, with a real sense of calm. The most surprising thing to me was that I made friends in Toronto who had no connection to basketball, whereas before I’d never really made friends outside of the sport.”

When Watanabe first arrived in Toronto in 2021, the 6-foot-9 forward seemed surprised to find out that people recognized him.

“I’ll never forget my first visit to Toronto in my second year. When I was walking around the city I was surprised to hear so many people calling, ‘Yuta!’ I was happy that so many people had seen me play and were supporting me.”

Watanabe is suiting up for the Brooklyn Nets this season — his fifth NBA season — after stops in Memphis and Toronto. He was impressed with the reception he received from Raptors fans, even after he left the team this summer.

“The fans in Toronto are very passionate, and even after I left the team, many people still sent me kind messages through social media,” said Watanabe. “Toronto has become unforgettable for me, both the people and the city. I am sure I’ll continue to visit every year, and I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you.

“Thank you so much to the people of Toronto.”

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