Niko Carino vividly remembers rising up in a comparatively unbeknownst suburb within the east aspect 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 all the things.
A primary-generation Canadian whose dad and mom migrated from the Philippines, Niko grew up round hoops ever since he might keep in mind.
“Filipinos on the whole, we love basketball. That’s what I used to be uncovered to very younger. I received okay at enjoying. 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 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 type of discovered his love once more for the sport in these small grownup leagues. He would deliver me with him and that’s type 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 ultimately 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 trade he’d enter, serving to his shut good friend Drake turned a worldwide icon.
Nonetheless, Niko nonetheless discovered methods to maintain himself across the recreation. He launched OVO Bounce, a neighborhood summer time pro-am match that drew NBA stars from throughout the border. OVO Bounce blew up and have become a summer time hoops staple. For Niko, although, this was solely the start of his journey with the game.
As his identify and popularity grew—recognized for being Drake’s right-hand man since Day 1 as co-founder of OVO and for serving to push hoops in Canada through his OVO Bounce tourney—he says he was ultimately approached by the Canadian Elite Basketball League post-pandemic about serving to set up a brand new skilled workforce in Toronto.
His preliminary response was that he’d solely have an interest if the workforce can be primarily based in his hometown of Scarborough as an alternative. As anticipated, his response raised some eyebrows at first however the league finally agreed and the Scarborough Capturing Stars had been quickly born, with Niko serving as co-owner.
“I gotta shout out the commissioner, Mike Morreale, as a result of initially once I brough that up, everybody was identical to, Why? Why are we doing Scarborough? Scarborough is a small suburb, they usually wished clearly a Toronto workforce 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 workforce wasn’t in Scarborough. I’m passionate in what raised me… [Marreale] was like, there’s this man that’s simply as enthusiastic about Scarborough as you might be. I’m like, Yeah? Who’s it? And that’s how I met Sam [Ibrahim]—he’s certainly one of our companions that contributes drastically to this group.”
The Capturing Stars primarily serve two functions: a tradition of group and tradition of profitable. Whereas the Raptors have change into a worldwide model, and do in truth keep lively in the neighborhood, their demanding schedules and off courtroom obligations in some ways restrict how accessible gamers may 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 in the course of the season—whether or not 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 accountability of accessibility to himself as properly.
“After we made this workforce, 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 in all probability 18 years previous. The Capturing Stars is a kind 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 via 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 may attain out, you’ll be able to shake arms. Us being a group workforce, we are able to 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 dwelling, the semis and title video games are performed at a rotating impartial web site (final 12 months was in Vancouver, this 12 months shall be in Montreal) throughout a championship weekend. The league, which fits from Might to August, has distinctive guidelines that purpose to prioritize native Canadian expertise. For instance, solely 4 imports are allowed on every workforce—3 of them being Individuals and the opposite being a global participant from anyplace else. The remainder of the roster is all Canadian hoopers. The league additionally requires for 2 Canadians on every workforce to be on the courtroom always. If a workforce doesn’t observe that rule, it’s an automated technical foul.
The way in which the season is structured does deliver 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 few 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 few 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 course of the CEBL season. It creates a roster puzzle that Niko and his employees should continuously navigate via with precision, forecasting which gamers they could lose or begin with out and developing with contingency plans. To Niko, navigating via the roster shuffles simply signifies that his guys are experiencing upward mobility of their careers and that the Shooter Stars are enjoying a task of their improvement.
On the courtroom, although, these challenges haven’t affected the workforce’s success in any respect. In simply two years of existence, the workforce 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 workforce would robotically have way more eyeballs and strain on them (and naturally haters, too) than some other workforce 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 discovered from Drake loads when it comes to, he’s concerned in all the things 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 all the things. 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 attainable, so if I misplaced, it was by myself benefit.”
“The expectations are excessive. We’re repping a giant metropolis. We’re repping the east aspect of Toronto We’re repping OVO. We’re repping Drake. There’s loads at stake right here. I feel that’s one thing I don’t take calmly. I wish to be aggressive right here. I discovered loads from Drake, you’ll be able to’t settle, you’ll be able to’t be content material. We can not not have a profitable season. We now have to proceed to search out methods to remain on prime by some means.”
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 in addition ideally whereas pulling up these round you. It’s been fairly the total circle second for the Scarborough native.
“Rising up, I wished to be the place to begin 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 type of snatched me and introduced me on the street. I went to school to be a social employee. So, I at all times 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 at all times felt caught. I by no means thought I may very well be a sports activities workforce proprietor, working in sports activities professionally. Now, I simply wish to encourage those who appear to be me.
“It was powerful, 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.
