Many stars in the NBA have come from Canada and have had successful careers with probably the most known being Steve Nash. Nash has been a 2x Mvp of the NBA, 5x leader for assists per game for a year, and is currently in the 10 ten for all-time assists and that is not even half of his accomplishments. He has paved the way for current Canadian superstars Anthony Bennet and Andrew Wiggins who were both first picks the NBA draft. Wiggins has won the rookie of the year for the 2014-2015 season in the NBA. This is the first time a Canadian has won the award, but it probably will not be the last because basketball has found a strong nesting place in the red and white of Canada.
Basketball in the North American country of Canada has taken off and sees no signs of stopping in its near future. Once Canada's beloved sport of Hockey was the most popular sport in the country, but recently basketball has overtaken it and will remain on top for decades. It all started in the mid-70's when Canada relaxed its immigration laws and people starting piling in the cold country. These new inhabitants of Canada carried a love of basketball with them and soon took over the country. ”Basketball is a sport that is easy and inexpensive to play, and a safe sport. There are a plethora of opportunities to play basketball in Canada. Over the last 20-years, organized basketball has become more relevant in Canada,” said Dan MacKenzie who is the NBA's general manager of basketball in Canada in his interview with Forbes Magazine in 2014. A study done in 2010 shows that 17% percent of kids in Canada that are 12 to 17 participate in basketball and 29% of Canadian households has 1 person involved with basketball in some way. Basketball has become so popular in Canada that the NBA now offers the "Canadian Package". This is where Canadians across the U.S. can watch there Toronto Raptors at discounted prices. Basketball In Canada can only go up from where it is right now because it is still relatively new to the country and in the future Canada will continue to thrive as a basketball nation.