Drake, Raptors Announce Charity Plans for 6 'Welcome Toronto' Games

The Toronto Raptors and rapper Drake announced a partnership Wednesday to hold six "Welcome Toronto" home games during the 2017-18 NBA season to benefit Canada Basketball and the local community.

Toronto will wear its new uniforms inspired by OVO Sound, Drake's record label, for all six contests at the Air Canada Centre starting with a Jan. 26 tilt against the Utah Jazz. The program will also donate $2 million to Canada Basketball and $1 million to repair basketball courts in the area.  

As a whole, Welcome Toronto was created to "celebrate the future of art, culture and basketball" in Canada's most populous city. Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri discussed the positive impact the organization's relationship with Drake has made in recent seasons.

"Over the past four years, the Raptors' relationship with Drake has always ultimately been about celebrating this city and the people that make it unique," he said. "We have something very special happening in Toronto and Drake is a big part of that. We're looking forward to this opportunity to continue working together to inspire and support young people, to showcase this great city around the world and to grow the game of basketball."

The press release also included comments from Drake, who was born and raised in Toronto and has established himself as a serious sports fan over the years.

"As this team and Toronto continues to grow, we have seen how much we can do together," he said. "Welcome Toronto is about celebrating our team and our city, but also working together to give back to the community and creating a place where the youth of our city can come together to play. These same courts could also potentially shape the next generation of Canadian basketball superstars."

Here's a look at the full list of Welcome Toronto dates and opponents:

Jan. 26: Utah Jazz

Jan. 28: Los Angeles Lakers

Feb. 2: Portland Trail Blazers

March: 9: Houston Rockets

March 23: Brooklyn Nets

April 6: Indiana Pacers

Those games later in the season could carry a lot of weight. The Raptors are 29-13 and 3.5 games behind the Boston Celtics for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.