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 little thing.
A primary-generation Canadian whose dad and mom migrated from the Philippines, Niko grew up round hoops ever since he may bear in mind.
“Filipinos typically, we love basketball. That’s what I used to be uncovered to very younger. I bought okay at enjoying. I performed within the OBA—it’s nearly like AAU however a Canadian model. I performed for a corporation referred to as the Scarborough Blues, which made lots 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 sort of discovered his love once more for the sport in these small grownup leagues. He would carry me with him and that’s sort of how I fell in love with the sport.”
Finally, the Toronto Raptors arrived to city, and Niko says he nonetheless recollects 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 turned a world icon.
Nonetheless, Niko nonetheless discovered methods to maintain himself across the sport. He launched OVO Bounce, a neighborhood summer time pro-am event 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 repute 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 through 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 staff in Toronto.
His preliminary response was that he’d solely have an interest if the staff could be primarily based in his hometown of Scarborough as an alternative. As anticipated, his response raised some eyebrows at first however the league in the end 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 after I brough that up, everybody was similar to, Why? Why are we doing Scarborough? Scarborough is a small suburb, they usually wished clearly a Toronto staff 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 staff 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 might be. I’m like, Yeah? Who’s it? And that’s how I met Sam [Ibrahim]—he’s considered one of our companions that contributes tremendously to this group.”
The Capturing Stars basically serve two functions: a tradition of neighborhood and tradition of successful. Whereas the Raptors have change into a world model, and do in actual fact keep energetic locally, their demanding schedules and off courtroom obligations in some ways restrict how accessible gamers might be to the neighborhood. That’s the place the Capturing Stars are available in. Niko says the aim has been to host some kind of neighborhood occasion each week through 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 duty of accessibility to himself as effectively.
“After we made this staff, I wished to make it concerning the youth. For the child that couldn’t afford tickets to the Raptors. I didn’t ever go to a Raptors sport till I used to be in all probability 18 years outdated. 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 packages 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 knowledgeable basketball participant. Simply looking for a technique to encourage children… I’m simply attempting to remain as linked 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’ll be able to shake fingers. Us being a neighborhood staff, 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 website (final 12 months was in Vancouver, this 12 months shall be in Montreal) throughout a championship weekend. The league, which matches from Might to August, has distinctive guidelines that purpose to prioritize native Canadian expertise. For instance, solely 4 imports are allowed on every staff—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 staff to be on the courtroom always. If a staff doesn’t observe that rule, it’s an computerized technical foul.
The best way the season is structured does carry some challenges, after all. 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. Among 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. Among 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 time League in the midst of the CEBL season. It creates a roster puzzle that Niko and his employees need to continually navigate by with precision, forecasting which gamers they could lose or begin with out and arising with contingency plans. To Niko, navigating by the roster shuffles simply signifies that his guys are experiencing upward mobility of their careers and that the Shooter Stars are enjoying a job of their improvement.
On the courtroom, although, these challenges haven’t affected the staff’s success in any respect. In simply two years of existence, the staff made it to the championship sport 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 staff would robotically have way more eyeballs and strain on them (and naturally haters, too) than another staff 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 lots when it comes to, he’s concerned in every little thing 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 little thing. And that’s what I did with this. On an everyday day, I’m going to coaching camp, I’m watching movie with the fellows, 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 doable, so if I misplaced, it was by myself benefit.”
“The expectations are excessive. We’re repping an enormous metropolis. We’re repping the east facet of Toronto We’re repping OVO. We’re repping Drake. There’s lots at stake right here. I feel that’s one thing I don’t take calmly. I wish to be aggressive right here. I realized lots 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’ve got to proceed to seek out methods to remain on prime someway.”
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 in the end revolves round discovering your true goal 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 total 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 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 might be a sports activities staff proprietor, working in sports activities professionally. Now, I simply wish to encourage those who appear to be 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.”
Photograph credit score: PlaceNEW.
