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 mother and father migrated from the Philippines, Niko grew up round hoops ever since he may keep in mind.
“Filipinos usually, 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 known as the Scarborough Blues, which made a whole lot 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 form of discovered his love once more for the sport in these small grownup leagues. He would carry me with him and that’s form of how I fell in love with the sport.”
Ultimately, 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 ultimately got here to the belief 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 good friend Drake grew to become a world icon.
Nonetheless, Niko nonetheless discovered methods to maintain himself across the sport. He launched OVO Bounce, an area 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 title and fame 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 by way of 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 group in Toronto.
His preliminary response was that he’d solely have an interest if the group could be based mostly in his hometown of Scarborough as a substitute. As anticipated, his response raised some eyebrows at first however the league in the end agreed and the Scarborough Taking pictures 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, 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 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 tremendously to this group.”
The Taking pictures Stars basically serve two functions: a tradition of group and tradition of profitable. Whereas the Raptors have turn into a world model, and do the truth is keep lively locally, their demanding schedules and off courtroom obligations in some ways restrict how accessible gamers may be to the group. That’s the place the Taking pictures Stars are available. Niko says the purpose has been to host some kind of group occasion each week throughout 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 nicely.
“After we made this group, 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 Taking pictures 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 colleges, and provides them tickets. Doing camps and having them meet the gamers and assembly me. And going by means of a full day of what it’s wish to be knowledgeable basketball participant. Simply looking for a strategy 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 Taking pictures Stars to not be unreachable. You may attain out, you possibly can shake fingers. Us being a group group, we are able to do 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 yr was in Vancouver, this yr shall be in Montreal) throughout a championship weekend. The league, which works from Could to August, has distinctive guidelines that intention 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 world participant from anyplace 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 way in which the season is structured does carry 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 go away early if their respective abroad groups begin early, and a few have even gotten invited to NBA Summer time League in the course of the CEBL season. It creates a roster puzzle that Niko and his employees need to always navigate by means of with precision, forecasting which gamers they could lose or begin with out and arising with contingency plans. To Niko, navigating by means of 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 group’s success in any respect. In simply two years of existence, the group made it to the championship sport of their first yr and gained all of it final yr. 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 routinely have way more eyeballs and strain on them (and naturally haters, too) than every other group within the league resulting from 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 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 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 attainable, so if I misplaced, it was alone benefit.”
“The expectations are excessive. We’re repping an enormous 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 believe that’s one thing I don’t take calmly. I need to be aggressive right here. I realized loads from Drake, you possibly can’t settle, you possibly can’t be content material. We can’t not have a profitable season. We’ve to proceed to seek 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 in the end 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 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 amusing. “I didn’t actually know what [else] I wished to be. I went to school for one yr earlier than Drake form 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 need 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 group proprietor, working in sports activities professionally. Now, I simply need to encourage people 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.
