Mahrez thumbs nose at England’s aristocracy 46 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016 FEBRUARY SATURDAY, SportsSports

SAN ANTONIO: In this Saturday, Feb 6, 2016 file photo, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant gestures to fans as he walks off ofhe t court after an NBA game against the San Antonio Spurs in San Antonio. — AP NBA All-Star weekend showcases Canada’s hoop love Kobe’s last, Toronto’s first

TORONTO: When Greg Anthony arrived in said Dan McKenzie, vice president and general China and the Philippines. “I can’t express to you going to be great to shine a light on that city.” Vancouver to join the inaugural Grizzlies team in manager for NBA Canada. That list isn’t incredibly how far Canada Basketball has come,” said Raptors When he contemplates the moment that is about to 1995, the cash in his pocket wasn’t the only curren- long. The , the other team to break guard Cory Joseph, a native of Toronto. “It’s going arrive, Tas Melas - a longtime Raptors fan who now cy that he needed to exchange. Anthony was a star into the league with the Grizzlies in ‘95, have lived a to be a crazy atmosphere. I feel like it’s going to is co-host of “The Starters” on NBATV - said it sends in college at mighty UNLV and went to the NBA to largely unremarkable NBA life with only one playoff inspire the youth around town, inspire the whole shivers down his spine to think about where things play for the Knicks, who took a backseat to nobody series victory in franchise history. country and hopefully it just skyrockets from here were in the team’s formative years. That’s when the in New York during those playoff days. Like the Grizzlies, the Raptors early days were even more.” NBA was buried in the sports pages and deep into In hockey-mad Canada, it was another story. difficult, with players and coaches often expressing Canada is home to Dr James Naismith, who the nightly highlight shows in Canada. There was no star treatment for hoop stars and no reluctance about coming and staying north of the invented the game, former two-time MVP Steve “It’s something no one saw coming 20 years ago real understanding of the game. Local and national border. My, how times have changed. On the 125th Nash and even, for a couple of years in his youth, when this all started,” Melas said. “It was just a lot of publications had to run basic tutorials that anniversary of the invention of the game, the NBA is reigning MVP Stephen Curry, who has emerged as dark times. ... The reputation of the city was really explained the rules of the basketball to fans. holding its midseason gala outside of the United the new face of the league. Curry’s wife Ayesha is lousy and it was a bit of a joke in the NBA world. “I don’t want to say it was humbling, but to a States for the first time. Canadian as well. “I’m very familiar with the entire This is just a huge mark of validation.” Most believe certain degree it was. To go there where it was kind It comes during a period of rebirth for the scene there,” said the guard. Vince Carter’s high-flying act saved the Raptors of a Basketball 101 for so many people,” said Raptors, who have galvanized under the leadership “I know where my house, where we used to live, from possible relocation at the turn of the century Anthony, now an analyst for NBATV. “We all want to of Masai Ujiri and coach Dwane Lakeshore Avenue. We drive by it from the airport and got a whole generation of youngsters to pick feel like what we do matters. It took a while for it to Casey. All-Stars in and DeMar DeRozan to the hotel we’re staying at. ... My wife’s extended up a basketball for the first time. really matter for the vast majority of people in have led the team to the second-best record in the family all live there, she’s from there, so a lot of sen- Wiggins, the NBA’s rookie of the year last year Vancouver.” Basketball has finally carved out a Eastern Conference at the break, giving their dedi- timental value to going back.” who is having another strong season for the much higher profile in the country’s sports con- cated and vocal fan base reason to pack the Air Minnesota Timberwolves, was one of those young- sciousness, albeit 20 years after Anthony first set Canada Center. World’s best-kept secrets sters. He will participate in the Rising Stars foot in Canada as part of the NBA’s initial in-roads There are 12 Canadian-born players in the NBA, Even Charles Barkley - noted lampooner of NBA Challenge, part of weekend of activities that could into the country. The Grizzlies lasted only six sea- more than any other country outside the United cities like San Antonio and Oklahoma City - likes inspire the next generation of Canadians. “People sons in Vancouver, but as the NBA’s All-Star week- States. And budding young stars Andrew Wiggins Toronto. “I think it’s one of the best-kept secrets in (in Canada) have never got a chance to experience end kicks off in Toronto, it offers Canadian basket- and Tristan Thompson have helped put Canada’s the world,” said Barkley, the Hall of Famer and TNT something like that before, especially the younger ball its first opportunity to really show the rest of national team on the map in international competi- analyst. “I think it’s one of the best cities in the generation,” Wiggins said. “Unless you’re there to the world how far the game has come. tion. Television viewership of NBA games has dou- world. They’re amazing fans. You saw this year in witness it, you don’t really know how it is. It’s one “You could put it up there with some of the bled over the last three years, bolstered by an influx the playoffs. thing to watch it on TV and another thing watching biggest moments in Canadian basketball history,” of immigrants from basketball-hungry nations like You saw how crazy that place was. I think it’s it live in person.” — AP