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Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade was surprised that the Toronto Raptors weren't part of the Christmas Day games this year.
The Raptors enter Wednesday at 25-10, the best record in the NBA.
Dwyane Wade says only one thing about Toronto's start is surprising: "I just don't understand why they didn't have a Christmas game."
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) December 26, 2018
The Raptors haven't played on Christmas in over 17 years. Many believe Toronto should have replaced the New York Knicks on the Christmas Day schedule. The Knicks hosted the Milwaukee Bucks and lost by 14 points.
The Raptors actually tried to get a Christmas Day game this season, but their efforts were rebuffed. Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reported in August that Toronto pushed hard for a Christmas Day game. Dwyane Wade believes the NBA made a mistake by not having Kawhi Leonard and the rest of the Toronto crew on the Christmas Day program and he's 100 percent correct.
In his first season with the Raptors, Leonard is averaging 26.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 49.9 percent overall, 37.6 percent from beyond the arc and 85.3 percent from the free-throw line. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year is putting up MVP-type numbers and many believe Leonard could lead Toronto to the NBA Finals.
Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade is riding off into the sunset after this season, as the future Hall of Famer is going to retire from basketball. The 12-time All-Star is averaging 14.2 points per game this season in 24 games.
