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Toronto Raptors practicing in Burnaby this week for NBA Canada Series

Tickets for Toronto's one and only public training session at SFU's Burnaby campus sold out in 90 minutes.
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Toronto Raptors' Pascal Siakam (right) writes an autograph for a young fan during a practice. The team is in Burnaby this week practicing for its NBA Canada Series game on Oct. 8, 2023, at Rogers Arena.

If you were hoping to catch some of the best NBA players in Burnaby this week, you'll likely have to sneak a peek through windows or wait outside for potential photos and autographs.

The Toronto Raptors are in the community for three practices ahead of its 2023 preseason game in Vancouver on Sunday, Oct. 8.

This includes one training session that's open to the public on Friday, Oct. 6, at Simon Fraser University's West Gym (8888 University Dr.).

However, the ticketed event sold out within 90 minutes of first available purchase — Sept. 6 at 10 a.m.

The Burnaby post-secondary's athletics department said the gym only holds a capacity of 1,600 people.

Net proceeds, at a donation rate of between $20 and $40, are earmarked for the SFU Athletics General Fund, which supports its varsity teams and programs each year.

The Raptors' two other training sessions, which will be closed off to the public, are scheduled for tomorrow, Oct. 3, and and Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Christine Sinclair Community Centre.

Toronto's practice at SFU is slated for 6 p.m. on Friday.

The Raptors' time in Burnaby will mark the 2019 NBA-champion club's five-year return to B.C. and the eighth exhibition game in the province in franchise history.

Toronto is set to take on the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 8, 5 p.m. at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.