Pascal Siakam is saying goodbye to Toronto in a special way. Following his trade from the Toronto Raptors to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, Siakam said farewell to the city he played basketball in for eight seasons in a heartfelt letter for The Player’s Tribune.

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The 29-year-old started the note by detailing a conversation he had with his agent regarding the future of his career.

“I tried to picture myself playing on the different rosters, living in the different cities, even wearing the different colours. I’m going through them in my head. And I’ll be honest what I answered. I was like, “Where do I see myself? I mean…… Toronto.”

Siakam also made it clear that his heart is always with Toronto, writing that he didn’t ask for a trade.

“Toronto is just all I’ve known — and all I’ve wanted to know. I never asked for a trade. Maybe this sounds naive, but I felt I could be one of those dudes who spends his whole career on one team.”

Of course, Siakam was a part of the 2019 Raptor’s Championship team as well.

“I helped the Raptors win their first NBA title. So eventually I’ll help them win their second, ” he wrote. “I always took that as a given, you know? I took a lot of pride in being that guy who’s connecting the past and the future here, and keeping it all as one era.”

Siakam also spoke about feeling accepted by Toronto as a city. As a Cameroonian himself, he detailed what Toronto’s diversity meant to him.

“I’d go out and I’d see Cameroonians, Ghanaians, Mexicans, Koreans, Jamaicans, Europeans, just all types of people from all types of communities. It made me feel comfortable.”

After telling a couple of stories about his years in the city, Siakam wrapped his letter by assuring the people of Toronto that no matter where he goes, Toronto is still his home. “Basketball can take me all over the world. But like I said: This is home.”

He ended his goodbye with one last statement, “I’m Toronto forever.”

We’ll miss you, Pascal!

Taylor Lucas

Regional Editor – Taylor is a Toronto-based journalist with a passion for story-telling. Whether chasing a story, writing, or editing she brings a creative spin to the media world and has a blast doing it. Taylor brings years of journalism experience in sports, local/national news, and entertainment. In her spare time, you can typically find Taylor trying out a new restaurant or cocktail bar, cooking, golfing or binge-watching true crime documentaries.

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