Niko Carino vividly remembers rising up in a comparatively unbeknownst suburb within the east facet of Toronto named Scarborough within the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. On the time, basketball was only a area of interest sport in Canada. But, within the Carino family, basketball was every part.
A primary-generation Canadian whose mother and father migrated from the Philippines, Niko grew up round hoops ever since he may bear in mind.
“Filipinos normally, we love basketball. That’s what I used to be uncovered to very younger. I bought okay at taking part in. I performed within the OBA—it’s nearly like AAU however a Canadian model. I performed for a company known as the Scarborough Blues, which made a number of basketball gamers that play within the NBA proper now—whether or not it’s Corey Joseph, Kellly Olynyk.” Niko says. “My dad performed school ball within the Phillipines after which when he got here within the ‘70s to Toronto, he sort of discovered his love once more for the sport in these small grownup leagues. He would convey me with him and that’s sort of how I fell in love with the sport.”
Ultimately, the Toronto Raptors arrived to city, and Niko says he nonetheless remembers attending the franchise’s first ever youth camp. Like with most hoopers, although, he finally got here to the conclusion that it wouldn’t be one thing he’d pursue professionally. As destiny would have it, it was the music business he’d enter, serving to his shut pal Drake grew to become a worldwide icon.
Nonetheless, Niko nonetheless discovered methods to maintain himself across the recreation. He launched OVO Bounce, an area summer season pro-am match that drew NBA stars from throughout the border. OVO Bounce blew up and have become a summer season hoops staple. For Niko, although, this was solely the start of his journey with the game.
As his identify and popularity grew—identified for being Drake’s right-hand man since Day 1 as co-founder of OVO and for serving to push hoops in Canada by way of his OVO Bounce tourney—he says he was finally approached by the Canadian Elite Basketball League post-pandemic about serving to set up a brand new skilled group in Toronto.
His preliminary response was that he’d solely have an interest if the group can be based mostly in his hometown of Scarborough as a substitute. As anticipated, his response raised some eyebrows at first however the league finally agreed and the Scarborough Capturing Stars have been quickly born, with Niko serving as co-owner.
“I gotta shout out the commissioner, Mike Morreale, as a result of initially after I brough that up, everybody was similar to, Why? Why are we doing Scarborough? Scarborough is a small suburb, and so they wished clearly a Toronto group as a result of it’s a much bigger market and to capitalize off that. However my coronary heart wouldn’t be in it if the group wasn’t in Scarborough. I’m passionate in what raised me… [Marreale] was like, there’s this man that’s simply as captivated with Scarborough as you’re. I’m like, Yeah? Who’s it? And that’s how I met Sam [Ibrahim]—he’s certainly one of our companions that contributes vastly to this group.”
The Capturing Stars primarily serve two functions: a tradition of group and tradition of successful. Whereas the Raptors have develop into a worldwide model, and do in reality keep energetic locally, their demanding schedules and off courtroom obligations in some ways restrict how accessible gamers could be to the group. That’s the place the Capturing Stars are available in. Niko says the objective has been to host some kind of group occasion each week throughout the season—whether or not it’s camps, clinics, or meet-and-greets. And that doesn’t simply apply to the gamers, he’s utilized that very same duty of accessibility to himself as nicely.
“Once we made this group, I wished to make it in regards to the youth. For the child that couldn’t afford tickets to the Raptors. I didn’t ever go to a Raptors recreation till I used to be most likely 18 years previous. The Capturing Stars is a type of issues the place it’s accessible,” he says. “Let’s attain out to all of the youth basketball applications and excessive faculties, and provides them tickets. Doing camps and having them meet the gamers and assembly me. And going by a full day of what it’s prefer to be an expert basketball participant. Simply looking for a approach to encourage children… I’m simply making an attempt to remain as related as a I can with them and be personable with them. We’re not unreachable. I would like Scarborough Capturing Stars to not be unreachable. You’ll be able to attain out, you possibly can shake palms. Us being a group group, we will try this.”
The CEBL, which launched in 2019, is comprised of 10 groups throughout Canada that play about 20 common season video games and a single-game elimination playoff construction, the place after the quarterfinals being performed at residence, the semis and title video games are performed at a rotating impartial website (final 12 months was in Vancouver, this 12 months might be in Montreal) throughout a championship weekend. The league, which works from Could to August, has distinctive guidelines that goal to prioritize native Canadian expertise. For instance, solely 4 imports are allowed on every group—3 of them being Individuals and the opposite being a global participant from wherever else. The remainder of the roster is all Canadian hoopers. The league additionally requires for 2 Canadians on every group to be on the courtroom always. If a group doesn’t comply with that rule, it’s an computerized technical foul.
The best way the season is structured does convey some challenges, in fact. The roster is made up of men that play professionally within the EuroLeague and different prime divisions throughout the globe, in addition to NBA G League and Sumer League regulars. A number of the gamers on the roster in earlier years included Jalen Harris, Isaiah Mike, Cam Chatman, Kasssius Robertson, Kyle Alexander, Cat Barber, Kalif Younger…and Grammy-winner J. Cole.
However with high-level expertise comes obstacles. A number of the gamers arrive late if their season abroad goes deep into the playoffs, some have to depart early if their respective abroad groups begin early, and a few have even gotten invited to NBA Summer season League in the midst of the CEBL season. It creates a roster puzzle that Niko and his workers should always navigate by with precision, forecasting which gamers they could lose or begin with out and developing with contingency plans. To Niko, navigating by the roster shuffles simply implies that his guys are experiencing upward mobility of their careers and that the Shooter Stars are taking part in a job of their growth.
On the courtroom, although, these challenges haven’t affected the group’s success in any respect. In simply two years of existence, the group made it to the championship recreation of their first 12 months and gained all of it final 12 months. The early success is of no shock to Niko, whose ultra-competitive nature helped set up an expectation of claiming the highest spot from the very starting. He knew that the group would mechanically have way more eyeballs and stress on them (and naturally haters, too) than every other group within the league as a consequence of their affiliation with OVO and Drake.
Whether or not being within the studio with The Boy, or on tour throughout the globe, or in enterprise conferences speaking technique across the most-streamed male artist ever, all of it ready Niko for this very second.
“I realized from Drake quite a bit when it comes to, he’s concerned in every part of his creation—whether or not it’s ideas for his music movies, the beat manufacturing, writing, hooks, regardless of the case could also be, he’s concerned in every part. And that’s what I did with this. On an everyday day, I’m going to coaching camp, I’m watching movie with the blokes, I’m going to coaches’ conferences—I’m simply studying and soaking all of it in, and contributing with something I can,” he says. “I simply wished to win or lose at my very own benefit, and I didn’t it need for it to be a factor the place it didn’t work out however I used to be proper. So, I wished to be as concerned as potential, so if I misplaced, it was by myself benefit.”
“The expectations are excessive. We’re repping a giant metropolis. We’re repping the east facet of Toronto We’re repping OVO. We’re repping Drake. There’s quite a bit at stake right here. I feel that’s one thing I don’t take evenly. I wish to be aggressive right here. I realized quite a bit from Drake, you possibly can’t settle, you possibly can’t be content material. We can’t not have a profitable season. We have now to proceed to seek out methods to remain on prime one way or the other.”
Past the wins and losses, the Xs and Os, and the championships, Niko’s story is a really relatable to the pure human expertise. One which finally revolves round discovering your true function and calling in life, dwelling out your ardour not simply your self but additionally ideally whereas pulling up these round you. It’s been fairly the complete circle second for the Scarborough native.
“Rising up, I wished to be the start line guard for the Raptors. However, clearly, being Filipino, I didn’t actually develop a lot,” Niko says with fun. “I didn’t actually know what [else] I wished to be. I went to school for one 12 months earlier than Drake sort of snatched me and introduced me on the highway. I went to school to be a social employee. So, I all the time wished to encourage and assist the youth, troubled children. I don’t wish to say I used to be a troubled child, however I wandered. I didn’t know what I wished to do. I all the time felt caught. I by no means thought I might be a sports activities group proprietor, working in sports activities professionally. Now, I simply wish to encourage those who seem like me.
“It was robust, when it comes to that feeling of being caught—it’s a scary factor. That feeling of helplessness. Like, what’s subsequent? Waking up each morning and being, like, Yo, what’s subsequent? What am I going to do? Like, I don’t know what I’m going to do. There’s life after that. So long as you retain at it, good issues will occur for you.”
Picture credit score: PlaceNEW.