Scrubb brothers gird for battle
Richmond natives expected to be key part of Team Canada when it faces China on weekend
Sibling rivalries are always contentious and competitive between brothers. Ask the Scrubb brothers who the better basketball player is, and the answers are predictable.
“Me. I’m better,” smiles 26-year-old Tommy, the elder brother.
“I’m not surprised he said that,” countered 25-year-old Phil. “It’s me.”
Their battles on their outdoor hoop on the street of their childhood home, or the nerf hoop in the garage — complete with a taped threepoint line — were feisty affairs. But when it came to the real battles — two-on-two with mom and dad, both accomplished basketball players and athletes in their own right — they did what they do best: team up.
“We always liked to be on the same team. We never liked playing against each other, even growing up,” said Phil. “We always liked to play together because we didn’t like to lose to each other. We’d always play two-on-two with our parents ... and they definitely didn’t let us win. I don’t remember beating them. They took it easy on us, but they didn’t let us win.”
Their talents as individual players are exceptional, but their greatest successes have come as teammates. They’ll get a chance to team up again when they wear the red-andwhite of Team Canada this week in the Pacific Rim Classic, a pair of exhibition games against China that serve as a warm-up to World Cup qualifying later this month.
The brothers’ legendary exploits while at Carleton University are well-chronicled. As teammates, they won five straight CIS titles, with two undefeated seasons part of a 102-3 career record with the Ottawa-based Ravens.
Phil, a 6-3, 185-pound guard, is the only player to have won the Jack Moser trophy as the CIS Outstanding Player three times. He was also named playoff MVP, and finished his college career with averages of 16.6 ppg, 3.8 apg, 3.1 rpg.
Tommy, a 6-6, 200-pound wing with an impressive wingspan, was twice the CIS Defensive Player of the year and also the playoff MVP in 2013.
Both have been in the national team program for years, with Phil earning bronze with the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 championships, and duplicating the feat with the senior team in 2015.
Team Canada head coach Jay Triano lauded the brothers for the role they play in helping to establish the team’s continuity and culture.
“They’re a big part of the program,” he said Wednesday after the team practised at the Richmond oval.
“They’ve been a part for a long time, and they’ve never said ‘no’ to representing Canada. They have championship pedigree, from playing at Carleton, the international savvy of the game, and the longterm commitment to our program says a lot.”
Both players play professionally in Europe.
Phil began his career with Greek League club AEK Athens in July of 2015, but was loaned to Skyliners Frankfurt the following season, helping the German Bundesliga club to the 2015 FIBA Europe Cup title.
After sitting out 2016 following knee surgery to repair cartilage damage and microfractures, he returned to lead the Germany league in scoring, averaging 18.3 points per game, and pulling the Skyliners into the playoffs.
Tommy started his career in Finland’s top-flight league with Kataja Basket in 2015, being named the league’s forward of the year and firstteam all-star as a rookie after averaging 12.3 points and 8.1 rebounds in leading his squad to the FIBA Europe Cup. He signed with Germany’s Gießen 46ers in 2016, and spent last season with S.S. Felice Scandone of Italy’s topflight Serie A.
Richmond has produced some prodigious talents over the years. Pasha Bains was tabbed as the next Steve Nash when he went south to play NCAA basketball; the sky was no limit for high-flyer Josh Masters, as he consistently won dunk competitions on the Nike circuit; and Andrew Mavis, who teamed up with Steve Nash during the last big push for Canadian basketball.
Mavis was on the 2000 team that lost to France in the elimination round of the Sydney Games — which are best remembered for ‘Air Canada’ Vince Carter dunking overtop French centre Frederick Weiss.
But of all those who came before, the Scrubbs might be the best.
“I think in terms of where they are now, they’ve reached as high as anyone has,” said Bill Disbrow, who coached both Phil and his father Lloyd at Vancouver College.
“They’re right up there, there’s no doubt about it. And they’ve continued on and accomplished more than anyone else.”