When I was growing up, there was only one face that came to mind when thinking about ‘great Canadian basketball players’: Steve Nash. When you compile his records, championships, and awards, the man finds himself with a very impressive resume. But he’s old news! Today, we see so many stars dispersed all over the NBA who are making their way to the top of the rankings, and they were all born right here on Canadian soil. Tristan Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Cory Joseph, Kelly Olynyk, Dwight Powell… Heck, the 2018 Rising Stars World Roster even featured two Canadian basketball players: Dillon Brooks and Jamal Murray. Not only are there more Canadian draft picks in NBA than ever before, they are at the top of the league!
Despite how great our Canadian basketball players may be and how well they represent our beautiful country, basketball has never really been the favorite sport of Canada, especially when competing with the forever loved NHL. Does anyone remember when the Toronto Raptors and the Vancouver Grizzlies were introduced in Canada? The Grizzles only lasted 6 seasons before getting transferred to the US, which was a pretty accurate reflection of the average Canadian’s investment in basketball. However some fans remained faithful, and thank goodness they did. The Raptors have stood the test of time and today they are making a big impact in the NBA league, standing strong as the face of Canadian Basketball. Over half the Raptors fan base has come in over the last few years, as they've moved from the bottom of the ranks where they sat for so many years. Sure they may be one of the best teams in the NBA right now (lead by DeRozan and Lowry), but they aren’t doing it alone.
We all know the famous hip hop artist, Drake, right? What you may not know is that when he’s not in the studio, he’s investing his time and money into building an empire for his hometown team, the Toronto Raptors. “We The North” is arguably one of the most successful rebranding efforts Canadian basketball has ever seen. “We The North” stands for being disruptive, strong and proud, and that is exactly what the current fan base is. It’s authentic, it’s something we can relate to, and that’s why it is growing at an exponential rate. And when you watch your fans explode into numbers that haven’t been seen in almost 2 decades, of course the team’s success will rise with it.
But it’s not just the NBA that our Hotline Bling artist has been focusing on. As we saw with Nash, the stars fade over time and are replaced with new up-and-coming players. Why would we not invest in our youth, our future all-stars? Well, I guess Drake had that same thought. In January 2018, he and the Raps donated $1 million to refurbish local basketball courts, and another $2 million to Canada Basketball. Kind of makes you wish you lived in Toronto…
All in all, Canadian basketball is booming. With the support of Canadian fans, one can only hope it’s foreshadowing for the future; that the Toronto Raptors will lay the groundwork for future Canadian NBA franchises to come!
