Full Comment - Canada’s biggest superfan says leave your ethnic hatreds at the door

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00:00:44.040 Ready for you.

00:00:51.880 He's one of the most recognizable faces in Canadian sports, and he's not even an athlete.

00:00:56.860 Nav Batcha is the guy that you see courtside at every single Raptors game.

00:01:01.580 And if you've watched a Raptors game over the last few years, and who hasn't?

00:01:05.080 You've seen Nav Batcha there.

00:01:07.240 Recognizable with his bright white turban, his exuberance for the Raptors, and the game cheering

00:01:12.280 on the team that he loves so well.

00:01:13.960 Well, we recently had a chance to sit down and talk with Nav Batcha about his new book,

00:01:18.420 The Heart of a Superfan.

00:01:19.940 It details how he started his love affair with the team, their rise to championship status,

00:01:25.840 and him even getting a ring.

00:01:27.660 But we also talked about the parts of the book where he describes coming to Canada,

00:01:31.740 his journey here, his love affair with this country, despite, well, some pretty harsh experiences

00:01:38.520 when he first arrived.

00:01:40.460 Enjoy the conversation.

00:01:41.860 Thanks so much for the time today.

00:01:42.980 How are you?

00:01:43.720 Thank you.

00:01:44.120 Thank you for having me on.

00:01:45.900 So let's talk about your love affair with the Raptors.

00:01:50.140 We'll go back in time after that.

00:01:51.960 But you have never missed a Raptors game.

00:01:55.680 You don't move early.

00:01:57.200 And you're never late, you say.

00:01:59.900 Well, that's true.

00:02:00.760 29 years, and never been late, and never left the game early.

00:02:07.220 Doesn't matter how the game is going or when, but never left the game early.

00:02:14.180 I'm one of those people that does not like to leave early, and sometimes you're with a group,

00:02:18.440 and everyone's saying, oh, let's leave early, let's beat traffic, oh, the game stinks.

00:02:22.440 I hate leaving early.

00:02:25.000 I agree with you.

00:02:26.640 I agree with you.

00:02:27.540 It's disrespectful to leave the game early.

00:02:30.260 It doesn't matter what is happening.

00:02:33.040 Well, that's what I wanted to ask you about.

00:02:36.280 This year, really?

00:02:38.140 Was it, you know, were there times where you thought, oh, wow, I'm watching a real stinker here.

00:02:43.840 I want to leave.

00:02:46.060 Well, do you leave your kids when they are stinking, you know, when they are not doing well?

00:02:51.740 Do you leave them, or you give them more support?

00:02:53.900 That's the time you have to give more support to that team, which is like a family to me,

00:02:58.960 and you have to show more loyalty.

00:03:01.920 You don't be there when you are winning the championship.

00:03:05.480 You know, I mean, we have been blessed that we won the championship in the short 25 years.

00:03:10.340 There are teams like Indiana and even Denver and Sacramento who have been there for the longest time

00:03:16.800 and a few good stars in their team, but have never been able to win a champion.

00:03:21.980 So we are winning a championship.

00:03:24.140 But, you know, we are blessed that we have won the championship and we are in a rebuilding mode.

00:03:29.240 So we, the team needs the support more than ever.

00:03:32.720 And, but I'm used to it.

00:03:33.860 I've seen a lot of lows and I've seen highs also during our championship time.

00:03:39.020 So you cherish the high time when you have been already there during the low time.

00:03:44.220 And that's what I do.

00:03:46.320 You have some incredible endorsements on your book.

00:03:49.560 Larry Tannenbaum, one of the key owners.

00:03:52.560 Vince Carter.

00:03:53.400 And I understand you're going to be with Vince Carter when he's inducted into the Hall of Fame.

00:03:59.600 How did you end up being so well known?

00:04:02.860 Were you always sitting courtside or did that come later?

00:04:07.020 Well, that came later, but I was always very energetic and cheering on my team.

00:04:12.820 And that's when our president Isaiah Thomas at the time noticed me.

00:04:19.500 And one day in 98, 99 season, just called me down to the middle of the court in Skydome and said,

00:04:25.740 you're going to represent, you're going to be the face of the team as a super fan.

00:04:29.200 And that's when all the story started as a super fan and I became the face of the Raptors.

00:04:34.760 Well, and, you know, having been down in the good seats, having been up in the last row,

00:04:43.220 I've sat everywhere in Scotiabank Arena to watch the Raptors play.

00:04:47.560 And you know, all the seats are good seats there.

00:04:49.820 There are.

00:04:51.000 But you can see...

00:04:52.560 You can see NAV as well as the players from anywhere in the arena.

00:04:59.640 And for people that haven't experienced you, you and I have never met.

00:05:03.600 I don't even think we've stopped to say hello and shake hands.

00:05:06.360 But I've walked past you at many games.

00:05:08.800 And the weirdest experience was, I'm in the men's room.

00:05:12.600 And you walk in and, you know, the urinals are full and guys are pulling out the phone saying they want to take selfies with you.

00:05:21.900 And somebody has to say, hey, wait a minute.

00:05:24.120 We're in the men's room.

00:05:25.720 Do that outside.

00:05:27.560 Yeah, that happens a lot.

00:05:29.280 In the washroom, people want to take a selfie.

00:05:31.620 I said, at least come outside a little bit.

00:05:33.940 Let me wash my hands and let's come outside and take a selfie.

00:05:36.840 But that happens every time I'm in the washroom there.

00:05:40.460 That's what happens.

00:05:41.720 Yeah, you are crowded and surrounded every time.

00:05:45.300 It's why I haven't come up to you.

00:05:46.820 But after, now that we've done this interview, next time I see you at a game next season, I'll come over and say hello.

00:05:53.620 Please do.

00:05:54.200 So it will be my pleasure to meet you.

00:05:57.880 How did you develop a love affair of basketball?

00:06:02.260 Because my understanding, that was not something that you grew up with.

00:06:07.140 First off, tell us your backstory, where you grew up and when we came to Canada and how you fell in love with basketball.

00:06:13.580 Well, I'm from India and I came here in 1984.

00:06:18.060 And from 84, when a new immigrant comes, you know, it might be from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, wherever they're coming from.

00:06:24.700 Their first goal is to put a roof on the roof and bread and butter on the table, you know.

00:06:31.040 So roof on their head, bread and butter on the table.

00:06:33.800 And that's what we do.

00:06:34.740 You know, that's what I did.

00:06:35.880 I just struggled.

00:06:36.800 I couldn't find a job as a mechanical engineer.

00:06:39.300 So I became, I cleaned the toilets and I became a janitor.

00:06:43.260 I did painting because I had to meet my, I had to make my ends meet.

00:06:48.260 And that's what I did.

00:06:49.580 But later on, I found a job as a car salesman in Rexdale Hyundai.

00:06:54.960 And that was the beginning.

00:06:56.320 And you know what?

00:06:57.220 I'm going to tell you, it was not an easy time looking for a job.

00:07:00.300 Nobody wanted a Sikh guy with a turban and beard as a, as a engineer. 1.00

00:07:06.500 And so I did all the odd jobs to make our end meet, to make my end meet.

00:07:11.340 And I had to want...

00:07:12.240 They want a Sikh guy with a turban and a beard as their salesman at the car dealership?

00:07:16.460 Well, you know, let me tell you, I did get the job and it was the weirdest way of getting a job.

00:07:22.860 I had interviewed at that place a few weeks earlier and I got a call from the manager on Saturday morning.

00:07:28.700 And he says, well, if you want the, still want the job, why don't you come quarter to nine?

00:07:33.760 Because they start the showroom at nine o'clock, you come.

00:07:36.320 And I tell you one thing, that day was the quickest, I think, I did the turban tying and getting back to Rexdale because I used to live in a basement in Malton.

00:07:46.920 And when I came there, I was so excited because I was a, I was going to start a new career, car salesman in the new country.

00:07:54.480 And, but that was my lowest day also because nine other salespeople who were Caucasian, they made so much fun about me when I entered the door.

00:08:07.120 They called me names, which I could hear. 1.00

00:08:09.260 They called me underwear head, towel head, packy and all those kinds of names.

00:08:15.240 So I was really, I mean, that was my lowest day in Canada.

00:08:19.980 And on that day, I prayed my, prayed to the almighty and said, I got to be better than good if I need to survive in this environment.

00:08:27.520 And you know what?

00:08:28.680 I went on the floor to sell the cars, 127 cars in three months.

00:08:32.640 It was a record then, and it still is a record.

00:08:35.420 So that's how my start was.

00:08:37.160 And moving forward, I became a manager and all that.

00:08:40.260 And now with God's grace, I own the same dealership, Rexdale, and I have another Ford.

00:08:44.780 So I have Ford, Hyundai, and Genesis dealerships.

00:08:47.820 So that's how, you know, I started and, you know, my career in Canada.

00:08:55.260 But let me ask you, in India, did you grow up with basketball?

00:09:00.180 No, we had cricket.

00:09:01.680 Cricket is the game there.

00:09:03.960 Basketball is not that much there.

00:09:06.000 Very rare at that particular time.

00:09:08.300 It's picking up now, but at that time.

00:09:10.780 And, you know, I come here in 84 for the first 10 years.

00:09:13.800 I'm just working, working, and working 110 hours a week.

00:09:17.860 And, you know, got a home and everything.

00:09:20.660 And in 95, when the Raptors came, you know, I was comfortable.

00:09:24.420 I had a nice job.

00:09:26.340 I was the general manager of Mississauga Hyundai.

00:09:29.180 And I had a home and a couple of cars.

00:09:32.560 And so I was working.

00:09:33.860 So I had no hobbies.

00:09:34.920 So I said, let me try.

00:09:36.120 I used to watch basketball on television.

00:09:38.240 And I used to watch Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Dr. J and all that.

00:09:42.800 And I said, wait, let me try two tickets.

00:09:44.860 So I bought two tickets to just try out basketball.

00:09:48.060 And I tell you, that basketball, the first game, I fell in love with that game.

00:09:54.320 And that was the most entertaining game.

00:09:58.380 It was like two and a half hours.

00:10:00.480 You are in a different zone.

00:10:01.720 You have no stress.

00:10:02.620 You have nothing.

00:10:03.440 You know, you are just enjoying the way the Raptors, the way NBA has designed this game.

00:10:08.180 It's the most entertaining game on this planet.

00:10:10.280 And here I am, 29 years later, I'm in still love with the game and looking for the 30th season to begin, which is going to be an exciting game.

00:10:18.920 Well, let's get more into the Raptors in a few minutes.

00:10:21.720 But I want to ask you about something you said a moment ago.

00:10:25.120 Your darkest day was your first day starting at Rexdale Hyundai.

00:10:30.660 Yes.

00:10:31.940 You know, you describe in the book that there were dark times like this.

00:10:37.460 Did you ever think I made a mistake and I'm going back?

00:10:42.400 Because I'll tell you, my mother would never leave Canada now.

00:10:47.180 But when I was a kid, she took me and my younger brother back to her mother's home in Glasgow.

00:10:52.300 And I celebrated my second birthday there.

00:10:54.560 I thought it was a trip.

00:10:55.780 I found out later on my mother was just moving there because she didn't think she could handle Canada.

00:11:01.440 And it was so tough.

00:11:03.940 And there's so many immigrants have that experience of, did I make a mistake coming here? 1.00

00:11:09.600 Did you ever have those moments where you said, should I go back or did you go back?

00:11:14.240 No, I never thought that.

00:11:17.900 I'm a, I don't have a reverse in my car, on this car, on my emotions car.

00:11:22.640 I just, I move forward.

00:11:24.280 You know, I had to find a solution to it.

00:11:26.280 And I did.

00:11:27.220 And you know, funny enough, all those guys who made fun of me,

00:11:31.380 I started mentoring them how to sell a car later on.

00:11:34.920 So, you know what?

00:11:36.380 They perceived, you know, let me share an incident with you where a customer came.

00:11:41.120 And he didn't want to deal with me.

00:11:43.100 He wanted to deal with a normal salesman, a Caucasian salesman, as if I was not normal.

00:11:48.300 So, I let my manager said, hey, you let him deal with another guy.

00:11:53.060 But when it comes to the time for delivery, I want to deliver the car to this guy.

00:11:58.260 He was a Caucasian guy buying a car for his daughter, came on Friday,

00:12:02.240 and I was the one who was going to deliver in the car.

00:12:04.540 And you know what?

00:12:05.740 I made sure that the car was, you know, I had a bow on the car.

00:12:09.580 I had a balloon on the car.

00:12:11.320 Even I was not getting paid on it.

00:12:13.020 I didn't want to get paid on it.

00:12:14.560 I just wanted to make sure that I changed this guy's perception about the Sikhs.

00:12:20.680 And, you know, I delivered him the car, and I treated him like a silver dollar,

00:12:25.560 and he was very happy.

00:12:27.180 And later on, he sent me a lot of customers.

00:12:29.760 So, I changed his, what he was perceived about the salesman.

00:12:33.340 I think sometimes in the unknown, when you see somebody, you never, you know, know what's there.

00:12:38.600 He was, he was, he didn't know what is turban, what is beard, what is our religion and faith.

00:12:43.660 But he knew later on, and he sent me a lot of customers.

00:12:47.380 So, I changed his perception about the Sikhs.

00:12:49.940 And that's what I've been doing for the last, you know, 39 years since I've been in Canada.

00:12:56.040 I, very personal question for you here, but I, having mourned a lot of Sikhs over the years,

00:13:03.000 I know that at one point in time, and I don't know when it changed,

00:13:08.780 but there used to be a lot more Sikh men, they'd come to Canada, and they'd say,

00:13:13.320 okay, well, I'm in Canada now.

00:13:15.580 There's not a lot of people with turbans.

00:13:17.460 There's not a lot of people with beards.

00:13:19.200 I'll blend in.

00:13:20.500 I'll drop the, I'll cut my hair.

00:13:23.180 I'll, you know, get rid of the turban. 1.00

00:13:24.540 I'll shave.

00:13:26.180 Was there pressure to do that?

00:13:27.880 Did you ever think of that?

00:13:29.800 Oh, you know what?

00:13:31.880 A lot of people who came with me, migrated at that time in 84,

00:13:35.320 they all told me now, you're not going to survive here unless you shave off.

00:13:40.200 And, but I had, if you have read my book, you know, you will see,

00:13:43.760 I made a commitment to my mother when I was 16 years old.

00:13:49.860 And in 1968, I made a promise to my mother that I won't cut my hair, I won't smoke,

00:13:56.280 and I won't, you know, I will always wear a turban, and I won't drink.

00:14:01.600 And I kept those promises.

00:14:03.220 And actually, that's why this book is dedicated also to my mom, whom I committed that,

00:14:08.700 and my movie, which came earlier, two years ago, my documentary movie.

00:14:12.880 And that was also a dedication to that.

00:14:15.300 So, no, I never thought that.

00:14:17.260 I mean, I never thought of cutting hair or all that, but I blended into the mainstream.

00:14:23.180 I'm most blended.

00:14:24.040 I think you have, just like you said, when I'm in the arena, I get every time I go to the game,

00:14:29.820 I take three to four hundred pictures.

00:14:31.860 What is the, you know, I'm so well blended with everybody.

00:14:35.060 Nobody looks at my turban.

00:14:36.600 They all look at the super fan giving me hurts.

00:14:39.140 The last game, I had a girl, a young girl, a couple of young girls, Caucasian girls, 0.99

00:14:44.680 blonde girls from Newfoundland, and they said, we came here just to see you, and can we hug you?

00:14:50.860 I mean, that's what blending is.

00:14:53.340 It's about, you know, I have to say, immigrants from wherever they come from face challenges.

00:15:02.020 Even if you speak English, you face challenges blending in, acclimatizing to the new culture.

00:15:08.440 But you did face extra challenges because of your appearance, because of the turban, 1.00

00:15:13.760 because of the beard, because of the unknown, as you called it.

00:15:17.460 It's a challenge for all, but you did face extra challenges, and you overcame them.

00:15:24.000 Yes, I did.

00:15:25.160 I was, I'm very strong inside.

00:15:27.140 My faith tells me to be strong inside, and my parents were strong.

00:15:31.980 So, you know, I could, but, you know, I think the main thing I was doing was I was always pulled myself out of the comfort zone

00:15:40.340 and go into the unknown, into the uncomfortable zone and blend in there.

00:15:45.860 And that's what every immigrant should do.

00:15:48.440 When you come in, make sure, don't be scared.

00:15:51.120 If your neighbor is a Jamaican or is a Irish guy or whatever, share your culture with them and learn their culture.

00:15:59.280 And because deep inside, I always say 99.999%, we are all same inside.

00:16:05.920 And look at that.

00:16:06.800 I mean, you have seen firsthand how much love I get.

00:16:10.160 I mean, in the arena or wherever I go, I go to Tim Horton.

00:16:14.200 I was in the Tim Horton earlier today.

00:16:16.120 I took six, seven pictures.

00:16:17.520 And, you know, people giving me love, trying to buy me coffee and all that.

00:16:21.280 It's, it is remarkable.

00:16:23.060 So, you come here and you don't really know basketball.

00:16:27.560 And I'm thinking of my own father.

00:16:29.820 Didn't know hockey.

00:16:31.800 When he came to Canada, it was a foreign sport to him.

00:16:35.080 What's this game on ice?

00:16:36.500 He did go ice skating as a kid, but he never played hockey.

00:16:40.520 He didn't know baseball.

00:16:41.660 Became great fans of both of those games.

00:16:44.200 Well, he was still with us.

00:16:45.360 And it was a joy for him to learn them.

00:16:50.000 So, have you gotten into hockey?

00:16:52.020 Before we get back to the Raptors, have you gotten into hockey or baseball, the Blue Jays?

00:16:56.940 You know what?

00:16:58.100 I understand hockey, but I don't have the time to watch it, to go into hockey.

00:17:03.640 Believe me, with watching every basketball game and then watching some on the television,

00:17:08.400 I tell you, if I start watching hockey and baseball, I will be definitely divorced.

00:17:14.560 So far, I have survived a divorce, but I will definitely be divorced.

00:17:20.000 So, no, I just watch them.

00:17:21.400 I watch hockey when I'm in the playoffs, when I'm invited usually a couple of times to a hockey game by, you know, the MLSE.

00:17:30.760 See, so I go there when there is a baseball games, you know, in the playoffs, they invite me.

00:17:38.880 The Jays invite me there for a game.

00:17:40.620 So, I go there.

00:17:41.380 I love all the sports.

00:17:42.840 I go to the, when Mike Pinball invites me for the football, CFL, I go there.

00:17:49.200 So, I go, you know, I respect every sports and I think sport is a very important part of our getting together to be one, one love, you know.

00:17:57.680 It's very important.

00:17:58.720 So, it doesn't matter what sports you are connected to.

00:18:01.380 I think it's important that we have our kids connected to the game of any sports.

00:18:07.540 But for me, it's basketball because I feel it's the most entertaining and the best game on this planet.

00:18:13.020 I had to laugh when you mentioned the divorce part because more than once, as I've heard you tell your story, I thought, his poor wife.

00:18:24.400 Does she go to many games with you?

00:18:26.360 Do your children go to the game with you?

00:18:28.340 Well, it's a different story.

00:18:29.800 That's a, you know, she used to go to a few games with me because I was son was her favorite player.

00:18:36.540 But about 15, 16 years ago, you know, a while back that something happened.

00:18:41.180 My wife has an arthritis, you know, rheumatoid arthritis, very severe.

00:18:46.260 So, she has an artificial, you know, a lot of artificial stainless steel bones in her body with the ankles and the hips and the knees and all that. 1.00

00:18:56.220 So, one winter time, there was a game in February and it was minus 25 or 28 outside and she was at the game.

00:19:04.060 And my parking at that time was outside where the CIBC building is now.

00:19:09.180 That's where I used to park outside in the cold, in the snowy days.

00:19:13.160 So, you know, we were losing by 10, 12 points.

00:19:17.580 And she says, and it was two, three minutes left.

00:19:19.800 And she said, now I'm going to go outside to the car and I'll see you in the car.

00:19:24.660 I said, okay.

00:19:25.680 And, you know, the game, Lord behold, went to two overtimes and when 45 minutes later, I went to the car, she was frozen.

00:19:32.920 And I told her we won the game and all that.

00:19:35.380 And on that day, she said, you didn't care about me that I was outside.

00:19:38.660 I said, when I'm at the basketball game, I don't think about anything but the game.

00:19:42.900 And on that day, she promised me that she will never come to a game with me.

00:19:47.360 And she has, she kept her promise of not coming to the game.

00:19:51.240 But she hasn't divorced you yet.

00:19:52.740 She hasn't divorced.

00:19:54.280 My marriage is hanging by very thin strings, but it's still there.

00:19:59.180 All right, Nav, we're going to take a quick break.

00:20:01.000 Why don't you come back?

00:20:02.020 I do want to talk to you a bit more about the Raptors, about watching players develop, pinning your hopes on them, and sometimes having the hopes dashed.

00:20:10.940 We'll get into all of that when we come back.

00:20:13.880 I've considered myself a fan of various sports teams over the years.

00:20:17.560 I love to point out that my family was at the founding of Glasgow Celtic Football Club in the 1880s.

00:20:24.320 And my uncle still goes to matches for that game.

00:20:28.700 But being at every single home game ever, that is quite something.

00:20:35.220 So let's go back to your association with the Raptors.

00:20:37.660 You say, Isaiah Thomas spots you, says, we're going to make you the face.

00:20:41.980 Did you ever think when that started that you wouldn't end up with a championship ring?

00:20:48.560 Oh, no, you know, you don't.

00:20:52.020 You know, you just, yeah, you think that you will one day maybe win a championship and you will be part of the championship parade and all that.

00:21:01.300 But, you know, like I said, a lot of teams, they have been there for 40, 50 years and they still have not won a championship.

00:21:08.840 It's very hard to win a championship in any sports, especially in basketball, where the competition is so great, you know.

00:21:15.420 So, no, but I never thought of that.

00:21:17.280 I was just, you know, so feeling high that I'm the face of the NBA through a Raptors, you know, and I was just, you know, high and I was enjoying myself and all that.

00:21:29.920 And I thought that now everybody knows me and all that.

00:21:32.660 But you know what?

00:21:33.420 I still had speed bumps sort of ethnically even after that, even after I became the Raptors super fan.

00:21:43.380 But, you know, no, you know, you never, I knew we will win it, but I didn't know that we'll win the championship that quickly in 25 years because the record shows that there are a lot of teams for such a long time, they have never won a championship.

00:21:56.140 So, that was 2019, the championship was won.

00:22:00.700 The scene here in Toronto, the night of the win, was madness.

00:22:07.220 Thankfully, nobody was hurt, but I was out in the streets for part of it and I thought, wow, this could go sideways very quickly.

00:22:14.760 Thankfully, it did not.

00:22:15.820 There was, you know, a hiccup at the parade with some yahoos off to the side getting involved in a shooting, but that was on the periphery. 0.94

00:22:26.300 Luckily, there was no, you know, no bad news and it was handled.

00:22:30.740 There was a couple of guys fainted also, a kid got fainted and all that.

00:22:34.600 But overall, with two and a half million people on the sides of the roads and all that and the biggest parade ever in the history of any sports,

00:22:42.940 we were blessed and lucky that nothing negative happened.

00:22:45.720 Now, in 2020, I thought the Raptors had a good chance at repeating.

00:22:50.460 You know, obviously, Kawhi left.

00:22:52.440 Kawhi Leonard decided to head home to L.A. in the Clippers, where he hasn't had the success he's had with the Raptors, but he's back home.

00:23:01.880 So, I wish him no ill.

00:23:04.520 But then COVID happened and the bubble happened.

00:23:08.380 So, you couldn't be at home games then.

00:23:10.880 But I want to ask you about watching that team.

00:23:13.260 Did you think in 2020 they had a shot at a repeat?

00:23:17.440 Yeah, well, if Serge, you know, would have kept there, they were trying hard, you know.

00:23:22.080 And, you know, Raptors tried very hard to keep Kawhi, at least for another couple of years.

00:23:31.060 They tried everything.

00:23:31.720 They gave him everything and he would have been the king of Canada rather than of a prince of a city there.

00:23:37.940 But, you know, that's what his decision was and nothing happened with him either and nothing happened with us either.

00:23:45.640 So, you know, sometimes we had a very good mix at the time with, you know, the team we had at that particular time.

00:23:53.100 You know, that was an amazing team if you think about it.

00:23:56.540 But you know what?

00:23:57.580 That's the past.

00:23:58.600 We are moving forward.

00:23:59.480 We will build up another team like that sooner than later.

00:24:03.580 Are any of the young bunch in the Raptors catching your eye now?

00:24:08.660 I look at players like Malachi Flynn and I think there's still so much potential there that hasn't been tapped yet.

00:24:14.460 Scotty Barnes obviously doing incredibly well.

00:24:19.120 Grady Dick finding his feet.

00:24:21.060 We have a lot of, let me tell you, we have, with Messiah and Bobby Webster being the, you know, in charge there at the Raptors, I think we are in good hands.

00:24:32.700 With a new coach also, Darko, I believe, with the new culture and everything, I think we are going to be good.

00:24:38.800 We have a good foundation in bonds and we have a good foundation in quickly, RJ Barrett.

00:24:46.080 You have a portal going to be healthy.

00:24:49.060 We had a lot of injuries this year also, a lot of injuries this year.

00:24:53.800 And though, you know, every team gets through that, but we had a lot of injuries at the wrong time.

00:25:00.340 But I believe that next year coming, you're going to have a very good season next year.

00:25:05.000 And they're going to, I believe, get some more additions of the players and all that.

00:25:09.840 And, you know, I'm very proud of what Messiah and Bobby Webster have done for the Raptors.

00:25:16.320 And I have a lot of faith in them.

00:25:18.360 And I believe we are going to be back in the good shape starting next year.

00:25:23.160 You are incredibly optimistic all the time, aren't you?

00:25:27.740 I am.

00:25:28.840 I mean, hope is the thing which God wants us to live on.

00:25:32.960 And that's what it is.

00:25:35.220 And also, practically, I do believe that we are in a, you know, we are in a good, you know, good shape.

00:25:42.220 I mean, our fans were still there.

00:25:44.000 We had so many sellouts.

00:25:45.920 And I believe that with a little bit of tweaking and all little hard work in the summer,

00:25:51.560 you'll see that we are going to be having a very good season next year.

00:25:55.980 What are your feelings about the way Canada has changed since you came here, since you immigrated in 1984?

00:26:05.900 Are we coming together better?

00:26:09.780 Are we starting to divide again?

00:26:13.760 You know, I sometimes worry about that with people being divided.

00:26:18.940 And, you know, we see protests in the streets now.

00:26:21.180 We see people being angry at each other.

00:26:22.860 I think for the most part, our country has been good at bringing together different cultures.

00:26:29.980 But there's cracks there right now.

00:26:33.420 Yeah, well, you know what?

00:26:34.660 We don't, Canada doesn't control the political situation outside of their borders, you know.

00:26:39.760 And unfortunately, it takes, you know, people bring the politics of the other places into this beautiful country.

00:26:47.180 I mean, I always say, Canada, if there is a heaven on this earth, it's right here in Canada.

00:26:53.380 And yes, you are right that we might have little cracks and all that.

00:26:57.240 But overall, we still, I tell you one thing, we still leave from 1984 to now, which is 40 years ago.

00:27:06.980 I think the things are very good now.

00:27:09.100 You know, people respect and love each other overall.

00:27:13.020 You saw in 2019, 2.5 million people on the street.

00:27:17.800 Did you see all kind of people on the street loving and hugging each other?

00:27:23.860 That was Canada.

00:27:25.220 That's what Canada is.

00:27:26.820 These are all temporary things.

00:27:28.360 And I pray to Almighty that all these things, you know, the war stops and everything will be back to normal.

00:27:35.780 We have to, everybody has to treat people like they want to be treated themselves and treat with love and respect.

00:27:43.240 And that's what I'm going to just continue telling the people about it.

00:27:46.980 And yes, there are going to be some speed bumps, but that's what life is all about.

00:27:50.920 In other parts of the world, you know, Larry Tannenbaum on the back of your book says that your book will remind you of the power of sports to connect us all.

00:28:05.500 In other parts of the world, that's not always the case.

00:28:09.300 I mentioned the soccer team my family supports.

00:28:12.260 There are pitched battles, angry battles at that.

00:28:17.260 I think we're blessed not to have that in Canada, but what do you think the difference is between how we do it and how they do it in other places?

00:28:28.920 Well, I believe that Canada is very unique.

00:28:32.580 We are the envy of the world overall.

00:28:35.580 That said, yes, we have a lot of still work to be done.

00:28:39.100 Like you said, there are some cracks here and there, but I think we should look at the bigger picture.

00:28:44.180 The world wants to learn from us.

00:28:48.980 If they don't want to, that's up to them.

00:28:51.100 But at least I think in Canada, we are far ahead.

00:28:56.160 Look at our country is south of us.

00:28:58.740 What is the divide?

00:29:00.080 They are so big and the divide is going bigger and bigger.

00:29:03.580 That worries me.

00:29:04.920 That worries me.

00:29:06.360 But because deep inside, we are all the same.

00:29:09.860 This politics sometimes pulls us apart.

00:29:12.080 And I think if we go more towards the human line, it will bring us together.

00:29:17.960 Treat everybody like you want to be treated yourself, irrespective of anybody's religion, gender, color, or whatever it is.

00:29:26.280 Treat it and you will see.

00:29:28.060 We are going to become a good society.

00:29:29.980 We are going to become a better country and a better world.

00:29:33.080 Well, Nav, I want to thank you for your time.

00:29:35.060 As I said, you are perhaps the most positive person that I've spoken to.

00:29:39.900 And I don't need a Hyundai now, but when I do, I will come to you.

00:29:46.980 I guess it.

00:29:48.520 You know, that's right.

00:29:49.820 Anything I can do.

00:29:50.940 But when you meet me next time in the arena, make sure come and let me know and give me a hug.

00:29:56.880 And always, I'm going to request you, I'm getting older, keep me in your prayers.

00:30:03.380 We'll do.

00:30:04.160 And we'll do the selfie outside of the bathroom.

00:30:07.140 Ah, that's right.

00:30:08.620 That's right.

00:30:09.360 And we will do that.

00:30:10.240 Maybe we'll do it on the court side.

00:30:11.820 I'll bring you on the court side and we'll do a selfie there.

00:30:14.700 How about that?

00:30:15.520 Thank you so much, Nav.

00:30:17.060 Thank you very much.

00:30:17.860 Thank you for having me on.

00:30:19.240 Full Comment is a Postmedia Podcast.

00:30:21.800 My name is Brian Lilly, your host.

00:30:23.080 This episode was produced by Andre Pru with theme music by Bryce Hall.

00:30:27.260 Kevin Libin is the executive producer.

00:30:29.600 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts.

00:30:33.700 And help us out by giving us a rating, leaving us a review, and telling your friends about us.

00:30:38.520 Thanks for listening.

00:30:39.400 Until next time, I'm Brian Lilly.

Full Comment - June 17, 2024

Canada’s biggest superfan says leave your ethnic hatreds at the door

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