Remember when Alonzo Mourning refused to play in Canada? How about Raptor power forward Antonio Davis? After blossoming into an All Star in Toronto, he opted out of his contract because he felt uncomfortable that his kids were singing O Canada. And learning the metric system. These were actual reasons he gave. I do not predict Amir Johnson feeling similarly. Something is happening — has happened — and it is a genie for whom the bottle will forever be too cramped. Turns out, after two decades of tumult and failure, subtly and steadily, Toronto has turned into a basketball mecca. In a fitting end to the roundball dominance of Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, each respectively has been or is being upset by Wizards, common decency and your Toronto Raptors. This isnt emphatic hype from a success-starved fan. This is real. This is how the future of Toronto basketball is going to play out. (Results guaranteed or your money back.) First, Toronto is going to beat the Brooklyn Nets. They are going to do this because they are faster, stronger, better coached and more talented. My words to Garnetts ears, I think theyre tougher too. Id confidently go to battle against KG, Pierce and Deron Williams with Lowry, Amir and Jonas. (Toronto can also selectively deploy Tyler Hansbrough, forcing Brooklyn to be mindful of his ever-present Metta World Peace potential. Observe when Hansbrough is deployed in a game. Always during a "Charles Oakley moment" when a teammate is being manhandled or has taken a series of tough fouls, and it is time for a guy made of elbows to contribute. Last game he played for 8 minutes, committed 3 fouls, and even touched the ball a few times.) The only reason the series goes seven is Torontos lack of experience. Heading into Game 5, the Raptors are now nearing the point of enough collective savvy and bend-but-dont-break guile to beat these paper tigers. The New Jersey Nets of Brooklyn are going down. (Sidenote on Donald Sterling: I would be neglectful not to mention the shadow hanging over an otherwise terrific first round of NBA playoffs. This is a teachable moment to talk about prejudice, especially when a Toronto club has experienced something similar. Remember when Harold Ballard warned us of the Soviet threat in 1979, proclaiming no Russian would ever play for the Maple Leafs, that they were "parasites and barnacles who steal our money?" I think Nikki Borschevsky told me that story. It was just the kind of boldly regressive, anti-humanistic rhetoric which helped spurn a generation of iconic movie villains from Ivan Drago to Boris the Blade. We may never see the same yield of film icons, but after commissioner Adam Silvers welcome and decisive announcement, I guarantee this whole affair ends in the plus column. Before you can explain to your mother that "Instagram is like Twitter with more pets," Magic Johnson will own an NBA team and Donald Sterling will not. Let him waste away in his underground lair, using his billions for, oh, I dont know, drumming up support to bomb North Korea? Backing anti-climate change lobbyists? Pouring millions into Monsantos nuclear corn division? Im not really sure what super-villains are into these days.) Speaking of villains, up next will be Miami, a team Toronto will not get past. This second round series is whats known in the business as "valuable experience". Any team on its way up bonds, grows and learns how to win by getting beat by the best. Do not be surprised when T.O. finds a way to win a game, maybe two (possibly three). This years Heat have a touch of the Nets in them (see: slow, creaky). They also have Lebron so they will be winning. 2014/15. Critical mass. The season NBA fans will remember as the Canadian Invasion. The one lasting achievement of the Vince Carter-era is inspiring a generation of local athletes to basketball greatness. The talent emerging is staggering, and some of it a credit to Carter as the deified player who sparked their imagination as kids. He, and two-time MVP Steve Nash, have long been the main influences for young Canadian ballers. In 1996, Nash was drafted 15th overall, the highest pick in NBA history for a Canuck. But years would pass. Bill Wennington would retire. Carter would move on to half-ass it in other cities. The Northern Uprising would start afresh in 2011, when Cleveland drafted Toronto-native Tristan Thompson 4th overall, a new record. Emerging San Antonio Spurs point guard Cory Joseph, a native of nearby Pickering, was drafted 29th. By 2012, a record five Canadians would be drafted, led by Orlando forward Andrew Nicholson (taken 19th). 2013 would be uncharted territory for Canadian ball. It was the first time two Canadians were selected in the lottery, including 13th selection, Toronto-native Kelly Olynyk and, shockingly, another Toronto-native, Anthony Bennett, going first overall. FIRST OVERALL. And he wasnt supposed to be the guy to accomplish that. That honour was being reserved for 2014s expected draft class hero, Raptor fan, and Toronto-native Andrew Wiggins (note the geographic trend). He may still wind up chosen first overall. Highly-touted Toronto-born Tyler Ennis is also declaring for this years draft and expected to go in the first round. 7-foot-5-inch Sim Bhullar (of Toronto) has a chance to be drafted as the first NBA player of Indian descent. Mississauga-native Nik Stauskas is considered a potential lottery pick. The list is long. Peruse the 2014 mock draft board. I did the math. Toronto is the best represented city in the world. Though the seminal players in Torontos basketball history may not be the most beloved, Marcus Camby, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Chris Bosh represent a considerable quantity of upper echelon talent which will someday appear as the bedrock on to which greater success was built. They are testament that superstars can be developed in Toronto, in Canada, where Vince Carter led fan voting for the All Star game four times, and Terrence Ross has been turning on young fans with dunk championship flare. More winning will build more local talent. Perceptions will change. A noteworthy cogitation to pull all this accounting together. It is entirely plausible there could come a day — there will come a day — when great players around the league are nagging their agents, opting out of contracts early, even colluding with their talented buddies...to come to Toronto. With so much homegrown talent pouring into the league, the standard could well be broken soon, where the prominent talents want to come to Toronto rather than dismiss it. To some extent, it is going to happen. To what extent, will be exciting to witness. >> Gallays Poll #8 << Who would you most like to see receive a hard foul from Tyler Hansbrough?(A) Kevin Garnett (most likely)(B) Jason Kidd (less likely)(C) Jay-Z (unlikely)(D) All of the above (almost certainly) Nike Air Max Outlet Canada . 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell while figuring out which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Air Max 97 Canada Sale . Serves hit by her surgically repaired shoulder often missed the mark, resulting in 12 double-faults. http://www.clearanceairmaxcanada.com/air-max-270-canada-sale/max-270-womens.html . The deal will pay Hainsey $3 million for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons and $2.5 million in 2016-17. Nike Air Max 97 Canada . Chris Heisey followed with a two-run triple and Billy Hamilton added an RBI double, all but sealing Cincinnatis fourth straight victory and seventh in eight games. Brandon Phillips, celebrating his 33rd birthday, hit a go-ahead homer in the ninth for the Reds before pinch-hitter Buster Posey tied it with an RBI double off hard-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman in the bottom half. Air Max 95 Sale Canada . Onyshko, from Minnedosa, Man., will compete in artistic gymnastics while Hanet, from Kelowna, B.C., will compete in lawn bowling as a para-athlete. "It is exciting that our Canadian athletes are starting to arrive at the Games Village," said Chantal Petitclerc, Canadas Chef de Mission.PARIS - Zlatan Ibrahimovic chested home the winning goal to give Paris Saint-Germain a 1-0 win at Saint-Etienne on Tuesday to reach the League Cup semifinals in a feisty contest that was interrupted for 15 minutes after home fans threw objects onto the field.The pressure was firmly on Blanc following Saturdays 4-2 defeat at Bastia — PSGs third straight league game without a win — and the relief was evident at the final whistle as several players congratulated understudy goalkeeper Nicolas Douchez.Despite all the talk after the defeat to Bastia, we played some good football, Blanc said. We analyzed our abysmal second half performance in Bastia and the players took stock. I saw a lot of positive things tonight.Earlier, Bastia rallied from a goal down to beat nine-man Rennes 3-1.PSG keeper Douchez — playing in the absence of regular No. 1 Salvatore Sirigu — made an outstanding reflex save in the 86th minute, flinging himself to his right to beat away striker Ricky van Wolfswinkels header with the palm of his hand.Douchezs decisive save even earned him a rare high-five from Ibrahimovic, who is far more accustomed to taking the glory.Its always hard to win against Saint-Etienne. They are one of the best teams in the league and they proved that again tonight, Douchez said. Our team spirit was very good. We gave everything we had.PSGs sloppy performance against Bastia last weekend saw the two-defending French champion lead 2-0 inside 20 minutes before falling apart to slip down to fourth place in the league.Blanc publicly criticized his players lack of mental strength and challenged them to bounce backk.ddddddddddddAlthough Tuesdays win was far from convincing, PSG at least showed more team spirit.In an even first half, Ibrahimovic had two efforts saved by Saint-Etienne goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier, while Saint-Etienne midfielder Moustapha Salls firm downward header was cleared off the line by PSG midfielder Marco Verratti.Ruffier saved winger Lucas effort midway through the second half, Ibrahimovic put PSG ahead in the 72nd minute when he chested in Lucas cross from the right, although Ruffier was adamant he had scooped the ball away before it crossed the line.After the goal was awarded, some fans threw objects at the match officials, prompting referee Said Ennjimi to take the players off the field as a precautionary measure.Shortly after the match resumed, PSG midfielder Blaise Matuidi went through in the 80th but his shot was saved by Ruffier.Saint-Etienne had PSG firmly on the back foot for the last 10 minutes.PSG centre half Thiago Silvas botched clearance in the 85th was picked up by forward Kevin Monnet-Paquet, but he shot straight at Douchez.In Corsica, defender Sylvain Armand put Rennes ahead in the 12th minute and centre-half Sebastien Squillaci equalized in the 46th.After Norwegian midfielder Anders Konradsen was sent off in the 65th, Rennes defence capitulated in the 71st when goalkeeper Benoit Costil failed to claim a corner and defender Romain Danze headed an own goal.Five minutes later, Swiss midfielder Ermir Lenjani was red-carded, and substitute Djibril Cisse added the third in the 90th.In Wednesdays quarterfinals, Monaco hosts Guingamp and Lille faces Nantes. 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