"Hey, brother, can you spare a few thousand dollars?

It's not exactly as if the Raptors and every other NBA team are now in the money-borrowing business full-time but their proposal on season-ticket payments if the start of the NBA season is delayed by labour strife amounts to a loan.

Under a league mandate put forward long before the owners locked out the players on July 1, the Raptors are offering two different repayment plans after they get money for 2011-12 season tickets."