The 2015 All-Star Weekend was definitely an electrifying moment for Canadian basketball. The growth and development of the game was exhibited throughout the weekend in New York City with many Canadians prospering in a wide variety of events. By the end of the weekend Canada Basketball surely solidified its presence on the international stage.

The weekend started off with a bang as four Canadians participated in the Basketball without Borders Global Camp which showcased the top 39 players, ages 16-18, from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe. Eddie Ekiyor, Justin Jackson, Nelson Kaputo and Jamal Murray had the opportunity to showcase and improve their game while also taking part in the NBA FIT All-Star Celebration with many worldwide basketball legends such as former-Raptors, Jerome Williams and Chris Bosh. With exceptional play throughout the weekend, Justin Jackson and Jamal Murray were selected as Basketball without Borders All-Stars.

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On Friday night, Andrew Wiggins shined bright in the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge as he led Team World to a 121-112 victory over Team USA. The 19-year old Rookie

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from Vaughan, Ontario took home MVP honors after he scored 22 points to go along with 6 rebounds and 4 assists with a 72% field-goal percentage. This unprecedented feat made Andrew Wiggins the first Canadian to ever win an MVP Award for the Rising Stars Challenge. Kelly Olynyk was also selected to play in the game, but could not participate because he was nursing an ankle injury.

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Junior Men’s National Team Assistant Coach, Scott Morrison was selected to lead the Futures squad in the NBA D-League All-Star Game by owning the best record in the league. His Maine Red-Claws assistant and Junior Academy/Cadet Assistant Coach, Nathaniel Mitchell also helped him lead the Futures against the Prospects. Morrison and Mitchell managed to guide their Futures team to a 129-94 victory over the Prospects, winning their inaugural All-Star appearance. This was the first time Canadian coaches have ever been selected to coach in this event.

Raptors point guard, Kyle Lowry was voted in by fans to be a starter for the Eastern Conference in the NBA All-Star Game. This has shown that the passion for basketball has flourished immensely in Canada as Lowry had the vast support of Raptors’ fans – tallying a total of 805,290 votes. During the game on Sunday night, Lowry did not look out of place at all by dishing out a team-leading 8 assists together with 10 points and 4 steals.

With so many milestones being reached throughout this past weekend, it is safe to say that the present and future of Canada Basketball looks bright. The world will have a chance to experience how prevalent basketball is in Canada during the All-Star Weekend next year in Toronto.

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