“With the first overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select Anthony Bennett of Toronto, Canada and the University of Nevada Las Vegas.” Those famous lines spoken by NBA Commissioner David Stern still play in the heads of many Canadians, over and over.
Just like that, Canadian basketball received another stamp of approval. The UNLV star became the first ever Canadian-born player selected with the number one pick in the draft.
Bennett, a 20-year-old from the Toronto suburb of Brampton, still holds true to his hometown roots after becoming a household name among basketball fans around the world.
Bennett is now the owner of some new ink. He had a tattoo made that display’s several maple leafs and the CN Tower.
He comes from a single parent household and grew up in one of the city’s toughest neighborhoods, but he looks beyond his past to help inspire and mentor youth to a successful future.
Surprisingly, the Cavs’ first pick took three years off from basketball in his early teens – he couldn’t find a place to play. During that period, he focused on school, but eventually was drawn back to the game.
“Thank goodness he started playing again,” is a typical Canadian response when asked about Bennett. Fans up North have never been graced with such a large amount of talent. The NBA currently has 11 players from Canada, a number that grows each year.
Bennett gives fans something to be excited for, in Cleveland and in Canada. His hometown themed tattoo is another way of saying “thank you” to everyone watching back home.
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Brett Poirier is a contributor to Sheirdan Hoops. Follow @BrettNBA