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 the whole lot.
A primary-generation Canadian whose dad and mom migrated from the Philippines, Niko grew up round hoops ever since he might bear in mind.
“Filipinos basically, we love basketball. That’s what I used to be uncovered to very younger. I received 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 numerous 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 faculty 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.”
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 trade 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 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 title 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 staff in Toronto.
His preliminary response was that he’d solely have an interest if the staff can 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 Taking pictures Stars have 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 similar to, Why? Why are we doing Scarborough? Scarborough is a small suburb, and so they needed 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 enthusiastic about Scarborough as you’re. I’m like, Yeah? Who’s it? And that’s how I met Sam [Ibrahim]—he’s one in every of our companions that contributes significantly to this group.”
The Taking pictures Stars basically serve two functions: a tradition of neighborhood and tradition of profitable. Whereas the Raptors have turn out to be a world model, and do in actual fact keep lively locally, their demanding schedules and off court docket obligations in some ways restrict how accessible gamers could be to the neighborhood. That’s the place the Taking pictures Stars are available. Niko says the objective 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 needed 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 previous. 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 applications 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 prefer to be knowledgeable basketball participant. Simply looking for a method to encourage children… I’m simply making an attempt to remain as linked as a I can with them and be personable with them. We’re not unreachable. I need Scarborough Taking pictures Stars to not be unreachable. You possibly can attain out, you possibly can shake arms. 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 house, 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 works from Might to August, has distinctive guidelines that intention 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 world 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 court docket always. If a staff doesn’t observe that rule, it’s an automated technical foul.
The way in which the season is structured does carry some challenges, after all. The roster is made up of fellows 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 midst of the CEBL season. It creates a roster puzzle that Niko and his employees should 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 implies that his guys are experiencing upward mobility of their careers and that the Shooter Stars are taking part in a task of their improvement.
On the court docket, 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 rather more eyeballs and strain on them (and naturally haters, too) than some other staff within the league because 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 the whole lot 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 the whole lot. And that’s what I did with this. On a daily 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 needed to win or lose at my very own advantage, 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 needed to be as concerned as potential, so if I misplaced, it was by myself advantage.”
“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 lots at stake right here. I believe that’s one thing I don’t take calmly. I wish to be aggressive right here. I realized lots from Drake, you possibly can’t settle, you possibly can’t be content material. We can not not have a profitable season. We’ve 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 in addition ideally whereas pulling up these round you. It’s been fairly the complete circle second for the Scarborough native.
“Rising up, I needed 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 needed 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 at all times needed 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 needed to do. I at all times felt caught. I by no means thought I could possibly be a sports activities staff proprietor, working in sports activities professionally. Now, I simply wish to encourage those who appear 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.”
Photograph credit score: PlaceNEW.
