NBA on TNT thinks Toronto is located near Hudson Bay

Is Toronto located off of Hudson Bay? Is Montreal in northern Quebec? NBA on TNT might think so.

During their coverage of a couple NBA games Tuesday night, the American cable network wanted to showcase where some of the higher profile Canadian players in the league were born. And it was notable because the network was carrying the respective games for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors, both of whom have top Canadian players on their roster.

With a map of northern Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec, inching toward Nunavut, and emblazoned with a large “WE ARE THE NORTH” header, the graphics team at NBA on TNT decided to put Toronto closer to Peawanuck, Ont., place Kitchener a short drive west to Fort Severn, Ont., and Montreal somewhere in the wilderness of northern Quebec.

It’s been a long-standing gag that Americans know little about their neighours to the north but this would make any Canadian — or anyone who has a sense of geography — cringe with embarrassment.

The number of impressive NBA Canadian players has been rising in recent years, with the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the Oklahoma City Thunder, Jamal Murray on the Denver Nuggets and Andrew Wiggins on the Golden State Warriors. But they grew up hundreds of kilometres south of where NBA on TNT thinks these cities actually are.

The image of the map went viral on Twitter after Sports Illustrated writer Patrick Andres shared it, tweeting, “This is insane geography.” It was also shared by Canadian Sportsnet anchor Faizal Khamisa, with the caption “What in the geography is this?”

And of course, as We The North like to do whenever Canada is grossly misinterpreted or disrespected on a global stage, we like to (politely and hilariously) complain about it — including the Toronto Raptors.

Here are some of the best reactions:

Twitter user @itsmrworldpeace tweeted, “Ahh to visit Kitchener on the banks of Hudson’s Bay..”

Another user said, “Big map has just been lying to us for years. Wake up sheeple.”

Twitter user Jennifer said, “I always wonder why my drive to Toronto was taking so long…now I know!”

User @regohcide tweeted, “Northern Ontario a basketball Mecca.”

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