BASKETBALL, EH? CANADA IN LOVE
All-Star weekend gives stage for nation to show passion
TORONTO The important moments illuminating the growth of basketball in Canada are obvious.
The NBA’s arrival in 1995 with the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies; Vince Carter’s All-Star dunk contest victory in 2000; the Raptors’ first playoff appearance in 2000; Canadian Steve Nash winning MVP awards in 2005 and 2006; consecutive No. 1 draft picks, Anthony Bennett in 2013 and Andrew Wiggins in 2014.
There also are less obvious — but just as important — markers, including the steady proliferation of baskets in driveways; the impact of the Internet; the growth of AAU programs; the development of coaches at every level; welcoming immigration policies; a bronze medal at the 2010 U-17 FIBA world championships; Canada Basketball’s aggressive but thoughtful
approach to player development; corporate interest; the steady migration of young talent to U.S. prep schools; the NBA’s deep resources; and the growing influence of Canada Basketball CEO Michele O’Keefe.
“It was a confluence of a lot of factors,” Wayne Parrish, the CEO of Canada Basketball from 2007 to 2015, said in explaining the growth of Canadian basketball, particularly over the past decade.
That confluence has led to the most remarkable and expanding era in popularity and the talent level of basketball in Canada, and it will be celebrated for the next three days when Toronto plays host to NBA All-Star weekend.
Raptors guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are AllStars, and Canadians Wiggins, Trey Lyles and Dwight Powell will play in the Rising Stars Challenge.
“It’s incredible that a young player in Canada can turn on the TV and he’s got a better than 50% chance that he see will an NBA player from Canada playing,” Nash told USA TODAY Sports. “That’s definitely changed. That was rare when I was in high school and college. Now, it’s expected and commonplace.”
Numbers help tell the story of basketball’s popularity and growth:
A record 12 Canadians on opening-day NBA rosters.
Three first-round picks in the 2014 draft — Wiggins, Nik Stauskas and Tyler Ennis — with a Canadian drafted every year since 2010.
354,000 kids between 3 and 17 playing, according to a 2014 Canada Youth Sports report.
Triple- digit increase in Raptors games TV viewership in Canada over the past three seasons, coinciding with consecutive playoff appearances.
The number of Canadians playing at Division I schools up more than 30% since 2009-10. WHAT WAS HAPPENING? Relatively inexpensive to play, basketball has been making inroads into provinces across the country.
“This has been a hockey-driven country for its entire history. Hockey has a mind share of the Canadian consciousness that surpasses football in the U.S. and rivals soccer in Brazil,” Parrish said. “How do you chip away that? One of the ways is you provide alternatives on the participation side.”
Former NBA player Leo Rautins, a Toronto native, said Parrish “opened the door to good things we’re seeing today.”
Youth leagues and camps became standard in communities. Parrish was involved at the grassroots level.
“It took no genius to see the potential and see the talent and the passion and opportunity,” Parrish said. “It was a matter of saying, ‘Let’s sit down and figure this out.’ In the end, passion for what’s possible trumped everything else.”
Immigration played a strong role. The Asian-Canadian population is estimated at 6 million (almost 20% of the population) and is expected to increase in the next decade.
“Canada is very much a country of new Canadians,” said Dan MacKenzie, vice president and general manager of NBA Canada. “Places where a lot of new Canadians are coming from — countries like China and the Philippines — are where basketball is extremely popular.”
Caribbean immigrants have contributed to the elite talent produced in Canada. Wiggins’ mother was born in Barbados; Bennett’s mother is from Jamaica, and Powell’s late mother was born in Jamaica. RAPTORS ARE WINNING The Raptors’ regular-season success, multiple All- Stars, the leadership of general manager Masai Ujiri and a marketing campaign celebrating national pride have fostered growth and popularity.
“When you look at their resurgence under Masai the past few years and the success of some of their marketing campaigns — the ‘We the North’ slogan — that resonated with their fans,” MacKenzie said.
The incident brought Ujiri a fine and he learned from it, but it was a defining moment in the playoffs two seasons ago when Ujiri said, “(Expletive) Brooklyn” at a rally before a game.
Ujiri, a humanitarian in Canada and Africa, worked in Toron- to’s front office in the late 2000s, took the general manager job with the Denver Nuggets in 2010 and returned to the Raptors in May 2013.
“There’s always been a hunger,” Ujiri said. “Their fans are dying for success. They’re dying for a winner. ... We’re not there yet, but there’s a sense of hope. People are vibrant and hopeful about basketball in general.”
The Raptors are trying to capi- talize on a fan base that has one home team — the Grizzlies relocated to Memphis in 2001 — for an estimated population of 35 million. They are Canada’s team, literally.
“It’s unique to have that many eyeballs following us,” Ujiri said.
He is 100% for his players, the franchise and fans. His bravado is measured now but no less inspiring. He told reporters Wednesday: “The goal is a championship. I guarantee you we will win one here one day.” NASH’S INVOLVEMENT Nash’s influence is undeniable. But his greatest impact on Canadian basketball might not have materialized. Three years ago, Nash was named general manager of Canada’s national men’s team and tasked with getting Canada to the Olympics, which has happened once (2000) since the 1988 Games.
Nash kept his distance from Canada Basketball after it dismissed his friend, Jay Triano, as coach in 2004, and it took the passing of time to sooth the ill will and back-channel conversations before Canada Basketball approached Nash about this job.
Nash’s first move? He named Triano coach.
Canada missed a chance to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in last summer’s FIBA Americas Championship. It needed to finish in first or second but lost to Venezuela 79-78 in the semifinals and took bronze.
“They had never been in that pressure-filled game before, and they showed it,” Nash said. “They showed they are a young and inexperienced team.”
Canada gets another chance to qualify for Rio at a pre- Olympic tournament, but Turkey and France are in the same six-team field.
Nash says the group has plenty of talent and ability and foresees a bright future.
“These are guys contributing to their teams, and they are significant and relevant,” Ujiri said of Wiggins, Powell, Joseph, Tristan Thompson and Kelly Olynyk.
“If there’s any sort of reward in my role, it’s the genuine pride I get in seeing our young players develop and play in the NBA and watching them grow. That has been such an exciting part of my basketball life the past four, five years, watching these guys — instead of being kids with promise, the kids who actually make it — has been incredibly rewarding and exciting. That’s all I need.”