The plan is that, over time, and perhaps sooner rather than later, it will be a “thing”:
A summer event on the calendar for all those who love and care about basketball and want to be around. A week to watch a great competition, see old friends and connect with those who feel the same.
A tradition, like coming home, or a family reunion, but with maths and better music.
This is the vision of GLOBL JAM, which closes the first year of what Canada Basketball expects to be many more this weekend. The hope is that over time it will become the equivalent of basketball at the Junior World Hockey Championships, which were a modest competition and no frills away from the general radar when they began in 1977, but which became a bell event that serves as a money cow. for Hockey Canada and a holiday tradition for hockey fans.
What is GLOBL JAM now?
There are many things. From a pure basketball standpoint, it’s an under-23 men’s and women’s tournament being held this week at the Mattamy Athletic Center on the Toronto Metropolitan University campus, with four teams per category. The women, who present a mixed list with promising prospects and younger members of last summer’s Olympic team, are unbeaten in the round-robin game after beating Belgium, the US and France. The men are 2-1 after beating Brazil and the US before falling to Italy on Thursday night. Everyone was left first in their pools.
The semifinals are Saturday, with the women and men facing the U.S. team. The finals are scheduled for Sunday and all matches are streamed on Sportsnet, Canada Basketball’s partner in the event.
As Canada Basketball works to harness the passion for the sport and deep Canadian talent and make it translate into medals internationally, the hope is that under-23 teams can provide a bridge for players who play in the Canada through the under-19 stage, the last. stopped by age groups in the FIBA competition: in the men’s and women’s senior programs.
“After the U19 age group, if they’re not ready to play on our senior team, what happens?” says Rowan Barrett, general manager of the men’s national team and vice president of basketball Canada. “So these are guys we could be looking forward to in 2028 and hopefully this will give some of them a chance to play for several years within our system, evaluate them, get more experience playing FIBA, so that when they get to the senior level., they have the miles they need. “
But basketball is only one part, and perhaps not even the most important part. After decades of trying to figure out how to take advantage of the booming popularity of basketball, Canada Basketball has decided that the way forward is to bring sport closer to the people and use its position as a governing body to create events that offer the basketball community ways to connect. , unite and grow. In this sense, GLOBL JAM is less of a tournament and more of a shared space or destination, a meeting point for the tribe of the hoops.
“It’s like a triple result, isn’t it? From a business perspective, it comes at the end because you need events to generate assets, assets allow you to sell, sales allow you to reinvest in the program,” says the CEO of Canada Basketball, Michael Bartlett, the former MLSE executive who has been credited with broadening Canada Basketball’s vision and contributing a more entrepreneurial approach to the former dusty sports entity. “The second thing is that when you organize events you control the narration more, you can be a narrator … we can tell deeper stories about our athletes. … And then the third thing and that’s probably the most [of our players] they just haven’t played at home while playing in Canada, and their families haven’t been able to see them play. I had a family member whose parents told me this was the happiest day of their lives. “
It’s also a pleasure for players, even if the ultimate vision of an energetic field didn’t materialize during the game of pool, at least, although the expectation is that the weekend will bring more numbers. big.
“I wish there were a few more fans, but I know there was a lot of love for television and a lot of people tuned in,” said Aaliyah Edwards, the star of the University of Connecticut who has been a dominant force in the female event. “But I definitely felt the love of my family and the families of the other players. It was great to hear the national anthem. I’ve been playing in the US for the last nine months, so it was great.
But rather than offering its athletes the rare opportunity to compete at home, Canada Basketball also makes a statement about its commitment to taking a more athlete-focused approach on all fronts. By creating an experience that is expected to become an essential step for players at a crucial stage in their development path, the idea is that when they ask players to take time out of their off-season to play in Canada , the “yes” ones will come and success will follow on the track.
So in addition to the elite competition, athletes this week receive the five-star treatment. Players received gift bags on arrival. During their stay, they have had access to a hotel lounge for competitors that includes game consoles, ping pong tables, snacks and a barber. It is open to all athletes and has become a huge success, giving the event a social summer vibe. Members of the Brazilian team have faced the Canadian coaching staff in ping-pong.
It’s also fun because outside of the Olympics, most FIBA competitions are for men or women, never both, meaning athletes can play in Canada for years and never be in the same place as their male counterparts or feminine. It creates camaraderie and, over time, a warm feeling towards the program that puts it. Internationally, it should translate into more federations wanting to put GLOBL JAM on their schedule, allowing the event to expand and greatly increasing the rumor. At the national level it should mean that when the teams come to call, the players will respond.
Veterans of national teams can only look wonderful. There are VIP lounges and a suite-style experience presented by The Keg, where players, Canada Basketball alumni, families and sponsors can hang out, play sliders and watch matches. Those who are old enough to remember that training camps meant two to one room in community school rooms for weeks on end in preparation for competitions in the farthest corners of the world are amazed at the transformation.
“It’s amazing,” said recently retired Canadian basketball student Miranda Ayim, a veteran of three Olympic tournaments who is coaching one of the teams at Saturday’s 3 × 3 celebrity event in Yonge-Dundas Square. “I can count on one hand how many times I’ve played nationally in Canada and they were mostly in Edmonton [where the women’s senior team centralized for several years] It was a wonderful host, but it’s nice to be closer to home and the heart of Ontario.
“It’s an annual basketball community meeting … I was actually chatting with someone before which is a good time for me to retire because I can enjoy all the extra activities that are done and I really enjoy being able to connect with all my friends and acquaintances … I love the direction the team goes and the program. “
The ambitions for the event are considerable. In addition to the tournament itself, Yonge-Dundas Square has been transformed into a kind of basketball festival, with live music stages as the venue for the 3 × 3 national championships. Looking to the future, organizers see the potential of a large-scale 3 × 3 tournament on the courts set up on Yonge Street and perhaps a 3 × 3, an Olympic sport that is for basketball what volleyball is. beach for indoor play: World Cup. event. There is the possibility of joining a Hall of Fame weekend, adding a little strength to the procedures and more connections between present, past and future.
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The buzz that Canada Basketball wants to create was evident in interviews during the opening week. Attendance was slow early, but was picked up as it progressed. On Wednesday night, Raptors vice president and president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster were in the building, watching NBA prospects Leonard Miller for Canada face Keyonte George, a project 2023 lottery playing for Baylor, who represented the U.S. at the event. Raptors star Scottie Barnes was on the sidelines, as was Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Canadian hip-hop legend Cardinal Offishall was in attendance, as was Olympian Penny Oleksiak. It is likely that next year Canada Basketball will change the date so that GLOBL JAM does not conflict with the NBA Summer League in the hope that more than Canada’s NBA contingent can participate in the event, providing this a much more interesting factor.
Building a brand and creating a place where a community will meet is easier said than done, but this is what Canada Basketball wants GLOBL JAM to be, and with its inaugural event underway, they have taken what they believe which is a giant first. the step to becoming “something” and maybe more.