Amid the Raptors’ quest to capture their first NBA championship, Michael Reio can already foresee something else — a surge in interest in amateur basketball across the country.
The director and founder of Basketball World Toronto, a local non-profit organization that runs basketball programs for children and adults, says it might be a tad early to evaluate the full impact of this most successful Raptors season on recreational basketball. But he has no doubt the team’s battle against the Golden State Warriors has put them in a bigger spotlight and will lead to increased basketball participation.
“The sport of basketball is growing very fast especially at the amateur level in Canada and the infrastructure is really starting to ramp up everywhere,” said Reio, whose organization counts over 1,500 youth (male and female) in its various programs.