On a late October 2003 night, thousands of people packed a new arena in downtown St. John’s to see NBA history: the rookie debut of LeBron James – then an 18-year-old rookie, now a global icon with multiple championships and MVP titles.
Instead, fans were heartbroken – and 19 years later, some want to see the fulfillment of a promise made on that disappointing night.
On October 23, 2003, the Toronto Raptors and the Cleveland Cavaliers came to the Newfoundland and Labrador capital for a show match that would be the first basketball game to be played in a newly constructed arena — the former Mile One Center — and James NBA was played debut.
“You’ve got the chance to see LeBron James’ debut, what’s not to love about that?” said Matthew Brake, who was traveling that night with high school friends from Pasadena – 400 miles up the Trans-Canada Highway on Newfoundland’s west coast – formed a carpool. They booked a hotel room in town and waited anxiously in the upper tiers of Mile One for the clue.
Things didn’t quite go as planned.
Watch the video above for archive video of this legendary sports fiasco.
There was a delay, Brake recalls, then another delay and another as fans sat and watched NBA stars shoot a few buckets during the pregame warm-up.
In addition to James, notable talent on the night’s lineup included Vince Carter, Jalen Rose and another rookie looking to make his mark in the league: Chris Bosh, a future NBA Hall of Famer.
“A few children are lying on the floor with towels mopping up something. We didn’t know what was going on. Over time, the players left,” said Brake.
The court’s hardwood floor was soaked with moisture. The city experienced an uncharacteristically muggy late October day, and the body heat of thousands of adoring fans in the sold-out arena didn’t help the situation.
“I felt terrible”
Glen Grunwald, the Raptors’ general manager at the time, was in court as officers discussed what to do.
Play the game and risk injury for some of the league’s biggest names and assets? Or cancel and disappoint fans, some of whom, like Brake, had traveled from far out of town just to see NBA stars up close?
“There was a great atmosphere in the city and everyone was excited. It was also a unique place for the players. They didn’t know much about St. John’s or Newfoundland, so they were excited,” Grunwald told CBC News.
Unfortunately, according to Grunwald, the pitch is not playable because of the condensation on the floor.
“The air went out of the balloon very slowly somehow. Finally, the NBA umpires who make these game cancellation decisions said, ‘I’m sorry, we can’t go ahead with this game. We’ve tried to clean it up but it just won’t work,'” he said.
Grunwald was given a microphone and the thankless task of breaking the bad news. For the fans in attendance, it may be Grunwald’s speech announcing the cancellation after a long walk to Center Court that they remember most.
“I felt awful because a lot of people came up to me after that and said, ‘Hey, I drove off Corner Brook … to get to this game,'” Grunwald said.
“It was really, really tough. Nobody wanted to see that, nobody wanted to come all the way there and then not play. It was really unfortunate.”
Missed a second chance
Cheers rained down from the rafters of Mile One. Some of the more recalcitrant fans threw food on the floor.
But in his devastating speech, Grunwald gave local fans some hope by promising the Raptors would be back within two years.
“We committed to it. Unfortunately, I was fired after this season,” he said, laughing.
“Things kind of fell by the wayside and it didn’t happen.”
But Grunwald’s return plans didn’t end with his tenure with the Raptors. A few years later, when he was at the helm of the New York Knicks, he had plans to bring that club to St. John’s.
“I fielded the Washington Wizards to play the Knicks at St. John’s in the 2014 preseason and unfortunately I got fired again,” he said, laughing again.
“The Wizards didn’t want to continue after I was fired. If I could just keep a job, we’d get a game back there.”
Continue campaigning, says former GM
The fans haven’t forgotten Grunwald’s promise either.
That’s why Brake is leading the #RaptorsToTheRock campaign to bring an NBA game back to St. John’s next year that will mark the 20th anniversary of the game that never happened. The Raptors have played exhibition games in cities outside of Toronto this year.
Brake uses Twitter to reach everyone he can, including players who attended that October 2003 game, and deserves a reply from Vince Carter, who said he remembered that night, and from the local basketball hero Carl English who said he will do what he can to help.
“The Toronto Maple Leafs were here a few years ago, they did their training camp and preseason here,” said Brake. “There were only positive things to say about it. Twenty years after the canceled game seems like the perfect time to take some revenge.”
Grunwald said he would like to see a plan come about.
His advice? Keep campaigning.
“It was a special day in many ways. Both for good and for bad. It’s a good story in the sense that it’s legendary in terms of how it all came together and fell apart and who was involved,” he said.
“I really hope that the games out there can start again. It’s complicated and things have to fit, but I think the fans out there should let the Raptors know they still want the game.”
Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
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