Welcome to a New Era!
On the cover of Issue #1 we have Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph, and Andrew Nicholson - three gentlemen who represent our vision, values and a shift into a new era for the sport in this country. The rest of this issue is packed with exclusive features that represent the past, the current and future of Canadian Basketball.
Tristan Thompson: Leader of the New School
It’s the eleventh and final day of the Senior Men’s National Team camp at the Air Canada Centre practice court. Tristan Thompson’s 6’9”, 227-pound frame is saturated in sweat. Even the shoelaces on his Nike Zoom Soldier VII’s are covered with a thin layer of perspiration after the two and a half hour practice. “Tristan goes so hard every practice,” says head coach Jay Triano
Cory Joseph: Rise To Success
Twenty-two year old Cory Joseph rose to the challenge and matured before our very eyes. His on court demeanor is exemplified with his proven toughness and willingness to win as he left it all out on the court.
I am extremely excited to welcome you to “Canada’s Basketball Magazine!” It is with great honor, joy, sacrifice and belief of many talented people, creatives and ambitious minds that have made all of this possible. Before we kick off this “New Era” of Canadian basketball, it is important to pay my respects to my beloved [...]
Tristan Thompson: Leader of the New School
It’s the eleventh and final day of the Senior Men’s National Team camp at the Air Canada Centre practice court. Tristan Thompson’s 6’9”, 227-pound frame is saturated in sweat. Even the shoelaces on his Nike Zoom Soldier VII’s are covered with a thin layer of perspiration after the two and a half hour practice. “Tristan [...]
Andrew Nicholson: Deadly Combination
It’s 4:30 P.M eastern time, half an hour before my scheduled interview with rising Canadian NBA star Andrew Nicholson, a member of the Orlando Magic and an integral piece of Canada’s basketball future. I quickly fill up my glass of water, glance at my notes and a few blinks later Nicholson and I finally connect [...]
The 2013 FIBA Americas provided such promise for a young inexperienced Canadian squad to do the unthinkable but that quickly took a turn for the worst. Despite Canada being disqualified at the tournament in Caracas Venezuela a star emerged. Twenty-two year old Cory Joseph rose to the challenge and matured before our very eyes. His [...]
Say the words Canadian Basketball and the name “Ro Russell” comes to mind. Founder of Grassroots Canada Elite, dubbed “Canada’s pipeline to the NBA” and with an extensive track record that traces back to the late 1980’s, Russell at the ripe age of 45, has seen it all. Primarily responsible for opening the floodgates of [...]
Jay Triano: Don’t call it a comeback
“I thought it was a breakfast meeting and it turned out to be a breakfast termination.” That is how Jay Triano recalls his morning meeting with Canada Basketball officials on October 19th, 2004. It is A call to an execution. The national basketball team under his command had failed to qualify for the 2004 Olympics; [...]
Trey Lyles: Canada’s Best Kept Secret Just Leaked
There are few areas that have always proven to be fertile grounds for basketball’s future stars. Ohio produced Lebron James, Pennsylvania’s claim to fame is Kobe Bryant and ACC Country is widely known for a plethora of talent each year. Recently though, the secret is getting out about a new player on the scene from [...]
When you come from a family of respected athletes, greatness is expected – there’s a lot of pressure and high hopes for success. But 17-year-old high school senior, Kia Nurse, has not only handled the pressure with the poise of someone much older, she has also exceeded expectations by quickly becoming the youngest player on [...]
Justin Jackson – N.W.T.S (NOTHING WAS THE SAME)
Somewhere in Ontario, before celebrating the 2016 NBA All-Star Game and Drake’s ownership stake in the Toronto Raptors phenom Justin Jackson was putting in first in-last out work in a quiet gym. The young man who excels at “getting the ball in transition” and “up the floor quickly” is set to rip down college nets [...]
“I always told all the schools recruiting me that I was going to pick the school who I believed to have the best of basketball and academics,” To know Chris Egi is to know the meaning of hard work and determination. To completely understand this 6’9, 210 lbs.17-year old giant is to understand the balance [...]
Nik Stauskas has gotten used to taking on new challenges in unfamiliar settings. When the administrative issues threatened the basketball program at Mississauga’s Loyola Catholic Secondary School, the sophomore made the decision to play prep ball in the States and transferred to South Kent School in Connecticut. Stauskas was unhappy and when a hip injury [...]
Olivier Hanlan – On the right path
Olivier Hanlan is on a journey that is a mere dream for most young basketball players. Heading into his second year of NCAA Division One basketball with Boston College, he’s already earning accolades and getting noticed. Olivier Hanlan sat down with BasketballBuzz to talk about his path to basketball success. Olivier Hanlan began his journey [...]
There is a little irony in Oregon St Beaver Jamie Weisner having played for Canada’s Junior Women’s National Team this past July at the FIBA U19 World Championship for Women. The biggest one is that she is an American who has chosen to represent the Red and White minus the Blue – the country with [...]
In an exclusive BasketballBuzz interview, Philipip Scrubb gave us a chance to dig deep and find out what the back-to-back CIS men’s basketball MVP thinks about the current Ravens dynasty, his ambitions for this upcoming season, as well as a breakdown of his time with the Canadian Men’s National Team this summer. As the star [...]
If all it took was an idea then the marketplace would be filled to the brim. The drawing board filters ideas, and discussions bring clarity and foundation to the project. Yet some just never make it past the thought process. It takes timing, focused vision and values. It is difficult to account for all the [...]
Akil Augustine: Breaking Barries
If you are a Canadian basketball fan, you know exactly who Akil Augustine is. If something big happens in Raptor-Land, he is the first one there bringing the fans at home the information they need. During the season, Akil and a group of knowledgeable basketball fanatics are analyzing exactly what they see going on all [...]
Justine Colley: Numbers do not lie!
Sportsmanship, teamwork, positive attitude and respect for the game are just a few all-star qualities this East Preston native, Justine Colley, has used to capitalize on her passion and excel through it. She has experienced great wins and great losses, but she has managed to, however, shatter records throughout her basketball career. Entering her fifth [...]
Behind the Hype: Canadian Basketball Facilities
From Sports Illustrated covers to number one draft picks, the level of attention on the Canadian basketball scene is at an all-time high. Basketball is by far Canada’s fastest growing sport and this trend doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. With all the attention, emerging talent, increased youth programs, enhanced coaching and the [...]
Marial Shayok: Super Marial’s World
Basketball has become a pretty big deal in Canada’s capital. Between the dominance of the Carleton Ravens, the birth of the NBL’s Skyhawks and a fresh crop of up and coming young players, there are plenty of bright spots in Ottawa’s basketball circles. Of all the upcoming talents, Marial Shayok, a product of St. Patrick’s [...]
Jai Natai Lotus: Something you feel
This November marks the one year anniversary of Jai Nitai Lotus’s album ‘Something You Feel’. I have come across many other great albums between then and now, nothing has resonated as strongly with me. The intention, presentation and all around experience of this album transcends the music and really taps into those emotional and mental [...]
Cory Joseph & Tristan Thompson: Two man game
Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson share a bond that goes far deeper than that of teammates, as the 22 year-old men have been by each other’s side for much of their basketball lives. But there wasn’t a best friend for life proclamation when they first met. “I was wondering who this kid with the big [...]