Former NBA All-Star appears to hate the Toronto Raptors for this bizarre reason

It feels like the Toronto Raptors catch strays from American media and players for some of the most ridiculous reasons practically every season, but this crash-out from former three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas might be the craziest yet.

On a recent episode of Arenas' YouTube show Gil's Arena, the former Washington Wizards star was asked about the Raptors' chances this season now that Kawhi Leonard is back in Toronto.

Instead of predicting where the Raptors might finish in the 2026-27 season, Arenas went on a rant about why he has no interest in watching them to begin with.

"I don't give a f*** about what Toronto's gonna do. I'm happy for Kawhi, but I'm not watching a Toronto game, like I did last year, like I did the year before that," said Arenas.

Damaged former NBA star Gilbert Arenas says he refuses to watch the Toronto #Raptors because they play in another country. He went on to say he doesn't even know what time zone Toronto is in, despite making 15 trips to the city during his 11-year career. https://t.co/PX21O9TI3h

— Marley Dickinson (@marleydickinson) October 7, 2026

The 44-year-old, who the NBA famously suspended after bringing a firearm into a team locker room, claimed he hasn't watched a Raptors game since the days of Vince Carter and Damon Stoudamire, saying they were the only reason fans watched Toronto.

"Listen, they're in a whole other country. A whole other country. I don't even know their time zone. I can't give a f***," said Arenas.

Former Raptors guard Danny Green, who was a guest on the show to discuss Leonard, wasn't buying it and called Arenas out for his anti-Toronto rant.

Green told Arenas he'll have to watch certain Raptors games this upcoming season, especially with Leonard back and the strength of the Eastern Conference.

After that, Arenas walked back some of his comments, admitting he did, in fact, watch the Raptors last season when they ended LeBron James' record run of 1,297 NBA games with at least 10 points on Dec. 4, 2025.

Gilbert Arenas played 11 seasons in the NBA and was a three-time All-Star with the Washington Wizards. (Keith Allison/Wikimedia Commons)

As for Arena's time zone remark, the former All-Star played 15 games in Toronto during his 11-year NBA career — nine of those seasons with teams in the Eastern Time Zone.

The Toronto Raptors have high expectations heading into the season following the acquisition of Leonard and the evolving play of two-time All-Star Scottie Barnes.

Last week, the NBA 2K series simulated the upcoming season and predicted that the Raptors would win the NBA championship with Leonard back in the lineup.

The video game prediction also mirrors the odds across several sportsbooks, with Toronto having the sixth-best chances at 22-to-1 to win the championship.