Diamond Member Pelican Press 0 Posted February 15, 2025 Diamond Member Share Posted February 15, 2025 This is the hidden content, please Sign In or Sign Up Gilgeous-Alexander can inspire more Canadians Descrease article font size Increase article font size Twenty-five years ago Vince Carter dominated the NBA’s Slam Dunk competition, inspiring a new generation of ********* basketball players. Hamilton’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may be doing the same thing Sunday as the only ********* playing in the NBA’s All-Star Game. Mark Tatum, the deputy commissioner of the NBA, recently compared the impact Carter and the Toronto Raptors have had on basketball in Canada to the potential Gilgeous-Alexander has to inspire more fans. “It’s remarkable. I mean, basketball in Canada is growing and growing and growing,” said Tatum in a recent video conference call with basketball reporters from around the world. “Outside of the U.S., we have more ********* players than any from any other country outside the world, and so that it is part of the Raptors effect.” Related Videos This is the hidden content, please Sign In or Sign Up /applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png"> 3:21 Toronto Raptors adding Brandon Ingram at trade deadline an ‘important step in the rebuild,’ GM says Previous Video Next Video Story continues below advertisement Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.5 points, 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds for the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s the third consecutive season where he’s averaged more than 30 points per game and is once again being considered an MVP candidate. This is the hidden content, please Sign In or Sign Up /applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png"> Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. He’ll be on Team Chuck on Sunday, a squad of mainly international players selected by Hall of Famer Charles Barkley. Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic of Serbia, French phenom Victor Wembanyama and former Raptors star Pascal Siakam of Cameroon will join Gilgeous-Alexander on Team Chuck. More on Sports More videos Tatum said those international starts are helping grow the sport around the world. “That is part of having players, going back to Steve Nash, to today with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is a legitimate MVP candidate and, like many of our players who are from those different countries, they inspire a next generation of player,” said Tatum. “This generation of ********* players now, looking at the ********* national team and they’re really good, and they’re going to be good for a long time, I think that inspires an entire country.” Trending Now This is the hidden content, please Sign In or Sign Up /applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png"> Edmonton man finally receives letter mailed in 1999 This is the hidden content, please Sign In or Sign Up /applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png"> Over a pound of fentanyl seized at U.S. border, and it came from Canada Tatum said he thinks the Toronto Tempo, a new WNBA franchise set to begin play in 2026, will have a similar impact on the women’s game in Canada. “We saw that when we brought WNBA games to Canada, they sold out within a matter of minutes,” said Tatum, referring to pre-season games held in Toronto in 2023 and Edmonton in 2024. “The enthusiasm for women’s sports, and particularly women’s basketball now in Canada, we’re going to see that when the new team starts playing in Toronto too.” Story continues below advertisement This report by The ********* Press was first published Feb. 15, 2025. © 2025 The ********* Press This is the hidden content, please Sign In or Sign Up #GilgeousAlexander #inspire #Canadians This is the hidden content, please Sign In or Sign Up This is the hidden content, please Sign In or Sign Up 0 Quote Link to comment https://hopzone.eu/forums/topic/218800-gilgeous-alexander-can-inspire-more-canadians/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
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