Photo by Paramraj Singh on Unsplash

Basketball is a beloved game by many and is the second official sport in the USA. The most talented players in the NBA get paid millions of dollars to showcase their skills, often ending up with even more lucrative sponsorship deals. But did you know the game is fast becoming one of the most popular sports in Canada?

Whilst Canada is well known for its fondness of Hockey, the great outdoors and friendliness, there are a few facts about the nation the people don’t know. Such as the huge popularity of online casinos accepting Neosurf as a payment method for online gambling and shopping, the fact that Canada is technically the most populated country in the world, and what we’re going to talk about today: the rising surge in popularity when it comes to Basketball. 

Let’s delve in!

A hotbed of talent

It’s undeniable that Canada has become a hotbed of sorts when it comes to young and promising basketballers. The newly minted BioSteel All-Canadian Basketball Game has become a talent scouts dream, with the rafters full of eagle-eyed scouts searching for the next hot player every year.

The players who take part in that game aren’t just the best in the country – they’re some of the best in the world. The skills they show during the game get them signed onto big-name college programmes such as Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Butler Oregon and more. 

This sharp rise in world-class talent is proof of the meteoric rise in the popularity of the game all over the country. Many coaches and scouts unanimously agree that the talent gap between players in America and Canada has decreased substantially in recent years. 

But there’s one area where a lion’s share of the talent is coming from – Toronto. The talent that’s coming out of the capital of Ontario is on par – if not surpassing – the talented young players in major American cities such as New York, Philadelphia and Chicago. 

The Increase in Canadian Basketball stars

In a game that was once dominated by American players, Canada has seen a sharp rise in players making their way to the NBA. You’ve got the likes of Nik Stauskas playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, Kelly Olynyk for the Boston Celtics and Tristan Thompson for the Cavaliers to name just a small handful.

Coaches have said that it seems like at least a few kids from Canada are getting picked in the draft every single year, with the number increasing every year as well. It turns out that when it comes to the nationality of players in the NBA, Canada is in second place, with America holding the number 1 spot.

Could it be Canada’s New Favorite Game?

These stats are remarkable when you consider the simple fact hockey has always been seen as Canada’s favorite game by a clear mile. Some sports commentators even think the popularity of basketball could threaten the popularity of hockey. A report released a few years ago even concluded that Basketball came second place when it came to team-based sport participation. And that was only behind soccer – it came ahead of hockey.

The sharp rise in popularity is thought to be down to the rise in different cultures and the sheer diversity of people now in Canada. This culture has strong ties to countries where basketball is favored over hockey, which is displacing its popularity.

Basketball’s popularity has also been boosted by the Toronto Raptors. The attendance of Raptors games is pretty astounding – third in the NBA league – and the team has become a sort of national treasure since its first game in the league back in 1995.

Conclusion

There’s no denying that basketball is a fast-growing sport in Canada. But will it be able to take hockeys’ throne? Only time will tell. One thing we do know is that the nation will keep pumping out hot new talent, which will only help to boost the popularity of basketball in the country.