One of the things that stands when talking to Aaron Best andDuane Notice are the words culture and familiarity.

The two Hamilton Honey Badger guards have both played for the Canadian Men’s National Team. They’re not alone. In the fourth season of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), there are 32 players in training camps who have played for Canada Basketball at different age levels. “I think it speaks volumes for the growth of the league,” Best said.  

Some have played for Canada and won medals at the junior age groups. Some have played for Canada in the FIBA Americas, World Cup qualifying and the World Cup.

“I think it’s amazing,” Notice said. “I think it’s a reflection of just how basketball’s growing in Canada. To have it to displayed at this platform and have all of us play against each other.”

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Notice pointed out how many of the players have played with each other on the national team. “It’s going to be a good experience to play each other and have, you know, these bragging rights and show off our development. And all work towards which is just to get better.”

Notice said the CEBL gives players a platform for them to showcase their talent. Best pointed out how to league can serve as an identifier of talent for the national team. “There’s a lot of U Sports players in the league that are playing that are really good,” he added. “Going forward, that’ll only help them in their development and they continue on being professionals in their own right.”

Notice and Best have both developed in their time with the national team. “It allowed me to have more exposure, understand a different style of basketball, just playing overseas taught me so much,” Notice said. He added how he’s learned a lot from his teammates and coaches.

“A sense of being patriotic and just representing your country on a global stage and also being able to give back to country because the country did so much for people like myself and my family,” he added. 

The experiences have also taught him to be more versatile, according to him. It involves players fitting into new roles on the team that are different than their role on their club or university teams.

Notice represented Canada at the junior age groups. He and Best represented Canada at the 2019 FIBA World Cup qualifiers, where they punched their ticket to the World Cup. He called it one of his favourite experiences. Best called the experience “really special.”  

“That was really big for me because I was newer to the program,” he noted. “I was excited to have, you know, the first taste of success.”

Like Notice, he’s also taken away a lot from the experience. The biggest thing is the importance of a good basketball culture, according to him.  

“Everybody has their mind on one thing and one goal and I think it’s amazing when everybody – a whole team, whole staff, whole organization – can just be on the same page working towards the same thing,” he said. “Just being a part of that just helps you build those long-lasting relationships and stuff like that. When you win and you have success, it’s that much better because you know all the steps it took to get there.”

When Notice and Best decided to play for the Honey Badgers this season, familiarity played a key role. Best knew head coach Ryan Schmidt from their time together on Raptors 905 – where Schmidt is an assistant coach.He also knew Hamilton assistant coach Sheldon Cassimy and general managerJermaine Anderson – a long-time veteran of the Team Canada.  

“It felt like the right fit,” he said. “It’s been great so far. I’m excited for the season to come and I’ve been enjoying it so far.”  

From his time at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) to the national team to carving out a professional career overseas and on Raptors to now, Best said he’s grown over the years. “You just become more mature,” he added.  

What does that maturity look like? “Just understanding the game more and understanding the bigger picture,” Best noted. “It’s not just about one person or one particular thing. It’s about the collective and what’s best for the collective.”

“Little things like being a better teammate or helping somebody out struggling with something,” he continued. “That stuff can lead to success down the line in an important game or an important moment. Just making sure everybody stays involved feels a part of it.”

Notice also referenced familiarity as the reason he came back to the Honey Badgers this season. He knew Schmidt and Anderson and referenced the team’s culture. “We have this culture of a players-first type of mentality where everybody has good vibes and is committed to winning and getting better in the summer,” he said.

He played for Hamilton in 2020 but tore his Achilles and calf and has been recovering from it. Even though he didn’t play last season, he said he was still brought in as part of the team. “I was able to be around some great people that always constantly supported me and uplifted me,” he noted.

Notice called the recovery process difficult but learned a lot about discipline. He built a lot of mental fortitude. “Be diligent, be resilient,” he said. “Physically is just continue to surprise yourself. I’ve never been hurt before so being able to recover a clear set of milestones allows me to think that, anything that’s been thrown my way – whether it’s physically or mentally – I can get through it.”  

Notice said he plans to play competitively in games by the middle of the season. He said his return will be “surreal.” “I dream about it a lot, I think about it a lot,” he said.

Notice added he’s big on positive manifestation and visual meditation. “I’ve already been thinking about how it is to put the uniform on, score my first basket in a year or two without getting hurt,” he continued.“ Just having those emotions, be overcome [by it] during the game, be overwhelmed by it but still stay focused and get the win.”  

Both Notice and Best said they’re looking forward to going up against some national team teammates during the season.  

One of the players in particular Notice is looking forward to playing against is Niagara River Lions guard Phil Scrubb. “Being his teammate and seeing how he competes in practice and how he prepares for them,” he said. “I’m excited to be on the other side of because I’m always playing with him.”

Both Honey Badger players also have goals for this season and with the national team in the future. “I want to continue to get better and grow as a player and win as much as possible,” Best said. “Pretty much the same mindset I take with me wherever I go.”

“I just want to be consistent and impact winning,” Notice said. He said he wants to do the best he can, in different roles or different qualifiers or tournaments with Team Canada. “With the CEBL, I want to win a championship,” he added.

The CEBL tips-off their 2022-2023 season tonight with three games, which are all available live and for free on the CEBL mobile app or on CEBL+.