The Guelph Nighthawks are facing off against the Scarborough Shooting Stars in their home opener Thursday night, and some fans are also hoping to see a different kind of star.
J. Cole, the rapper turned professional basketball player, is starting for Scarborough.
A big crowd is expected at the Sleeman Center as the regular season kicks off.
Paul McGuaghey, a freelance basketball journalist, says it’s an exciting time for the Canadian Elite Basketball League.
“The Nighthawks have just added a huge element to the pro sports landscape in Guelph.”
The team, which is now marking its fourth year in the city, has had an impact on the local sports scene.
“It’s been awesome to see the growth,” says Vanessa Lodge, the vice-president of development for the Guelph Youth Basketball Association. “You see it in the development of the number of players. Pre-COVID, we had almost over 600 kids in just our house league. As a club, almost 900.”
She says the Nighthawks are inspiring kids by participating in local summer camps and activities.
They’ve also put together a six-week program to help train young athletes.
“It’s a great opportunity to partner,” says Lodge. “We didn’t have as much opportunity for our house league players to play basketball this season because of COVID, so we worked with the Nighthawks to run a program to get them in training, to reach out and to learn from some of their coaches and their players.”
She says kids are learning how to succeed both on and off the court.
Major Cam Guthrie says that with major junior hockey and intercountry baseball in the city, the Nighthawks fill a void in Guelph.
“After everyone experiences their first game they’re hooked, and the buzz about it from everybody that goes is just fantastic.”
Guthrie’s own parents are now Nighthawk fans.
“They just love it,” he says. “They have bought season tickets.”
The city is providing free transit on game days to anyone with a ticket to a Nighthawks game.
“We’ve seen it, historically, that people would typically go down a couple of hours before a game so they can grab a bite to eat before going to games,” says Courtney McDonald, manager of the city’s Transit Business Services. “We’re assuming that this will continue with the Guelph Nighthawks as well.”
Then there’s having a player — like J. Cole — stirring up interest in the league.
“Those are the moments that a growing league needs to really get into the consciousness of, maybe, people who haven’t heard about the CEBL yet,” says McGaughey.
The Canadian Elite Basketball League is different from the National Canadian Basketball League, where the KW Titans are making their playoff debut.