Basketball, B.C’s third most popular sport, continually ranking behind hockey and soccer. Yet hoops still continue to be increasingly prominent within the province. With Vancouver previously hosting the Vancouver Grizzlies (1996-01), the fanship of the sport is still alive in well within the province. Toronto fans had the luxury of Carter and the Raptors, while after the departure of the Grizzlies, B.C fans were forced to shift from the hometown team to the hometown kid, X2 NBA MVP, Steve Nash in the early and mid 00’s. The NBA now makes Vancouver a stop on its preseason schedule. Always greeted by a sell-out crowd, our athletes, coaches and fans are still hungrier than ever for basketball in B.C.
Still on an international or scale the province doesn't seem to excel within the sport.
Without the help of prep schools, professional teams, any real star power or major corporate endorsements, the basketball community in Vancouver has produced seven current NCAA Division 1 Men's basketball players and one active NBA player. In context, this is still slightly underwhelming if you compare it to the 70 Ontario Basketball as produced or the thousands of homegrown players from the USA itself that are currently participating on NCAA Div. 1 courts. Of course our lack of players at the next level could be accredited to the fact that we don't have any NCAA Div 1. games being played on courts in the province. Until now.
Coming in November of 2017 Vancouver is hosting an 16 team, men's and women's NCAA tournament event that organizers are boasting to be “Vancouver’s biggest elite basketball-related news since the NBA announced that the Grizzlies franchise was awarded to Vancouver.” As great as it is to not have to drive three hours down to Seattle to watch the University of Washington Huskies play in order to catch a Div 1. game, this tournaments list of benefits reads far longer than some temporary weekend entertainment.
Culture, we believe, is the number one culprit for the lack of B.C’s prominence in the basketball world. This NCAA event is a monumental stepping stone for developing just that. Top level college athletes in today’s socially connected world are full fledged celebrity figures, figures that are perceived almost as a fairytale to many of Canada’s youth basketball players. Bringing these athletes to Vancouver, materializing the fantasy of post-high school hoops is a powerful vessel in bringing our young talented players to american colleges and beyond.
The event itself will be held at the Vancouver Convention Centre’s exhibition space that will be converted into a 3,000-seat venue. If the event is successful this year, event organizers said they would be “looking at hosting this three to four years consecutively.” which would presumably prove to be hugely impactful for both the hoop culture and economy of B.C.
“This will be a great opportunity to showcase our wonderful province, while generating additional interest in basketball for fans of all ages. Many Canadians grow up dreaming of playing on the national team or playing professionally, and that journey traditionally begins at a major college or university basketball program” said Peter Fassbender the Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development.
We expect to see the convention center at capacity in November. Filled with the hopeful, ambitious faces that will soon be the future of Vancouver hoops. Those same kids that will one day be looking back at a sold out Vancouver crowd with the city on their back and a NCAA or NBA jersey on their chest.
COMMUNITY
