For some lucky students at Frank Hurt, L.A. Matheson and Tamanawis secondary schools, their hoop dreams came true with the opportunity to meet several basketball greats and participate in a recent NBA camp in Vancouver.
Three-time NBA Champion Danny Green was among the basketball greats on hand last month for a special Community Gym at Rogers Arena, hosted by Tangerine Bank, connecting 30 students from Frank Hurt, L.A. Matheson and Tamanawis secondary schools with pros who instill the qualities of self-confidence, leadership and acceptance in youth through sports. (Photos by Tom Kwok)
Last month, 30 students participated in a special edition Community Gym at Rogers Arena, hosted by Tangerine Bank as part of Tangerine Project Forward, an initiative that inspires self-confidence, leadership and acceptance in Canadian youth through various opportunities, including sports.
The camp took place ahead of the NBA Canada Series 2025 game between the Toronto Raptors and the Denver Nuggets, giving youth a chance to hone their skills on the same court as the pros before seeing the game the next night, courtesy of Tangerine Bank's Senior Manager of Community Investment, Pam Fabisiak.
Photos by Tom Kwok
"The camp provided a fun and competitive atmosphere for our students to learn and compete," said Mike McKay, youth diversity liaison with Safe Schools. "This was also the first time most of the students were able to see an NBA game in person and they were very excited for the experience."
The camp was run by NBA trainers, local college coaches, and current and retired players, including three-time NBA Champion Danny Green, and Salt Lake City Stars point guard and two-time NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas. The players put students through a series of drills and shared their passion for basketball, their outlook on life and their encouragement to pursue what they love.
The students came away from the once-in-a-lifetime experience filled with gratitude, revelling in both the fun of the camp and the excitement of the game. For Tamanawis student Luka Guzina, the highlight was seeing 2023 NBA champion and four-time MVP Nikola Jokić live.
"It was my first time seeing Jokić in person and though he only played about 20 minutes, you can see why he is one of the best players in the world," said Guzina. "Not only how he can score, but how he passes and gets his teammates involved."
"You see these guys on TV and you don't recognize how tall and athletic they really are until you are right there in person," said classmate Victor Cortel. "It was cool getting to see the Raptors play in Vancouver - without the Grizzlies, they are now Canada's team."
Click here to see a gallery of photos by Tom Kwok.
