A group of hijabi women gathering to play ball at their Scarborough mosque. A 17-year-old who is already busy coaching and mentoring the next generation of Regent Park youngsters. An Orangeville grandmother settling down on her very own team bench alongside her grandson on game night. These are the faces of Raptors fans tucked away in all corners of the GTA and beyond. The thread that ties them together is their passion for a game that makes them feel like a part of a pulsing community — regardless of race, gender, social status, and age.In recent weeks The Star dropped into the mosque, the barbershop, the elementary school gym, places where basketball culture — and connections — thrive, amplified by a team and a fanbase that’s as diverse as the city. As Toronto gears up for a defining Game Seven conference semifinal showdown with the Philadelphia 76ers Sunday night, these are the stories of those who see their passion and themselves represented in the Raptors.HIJABI BALLERS, SCARBOROUGH“I feel like with basketball, people can see themselves as people — and we’re capable of doing this or that because of how culturally diverse it is.” Hibbo Omar, 14, is inside the gym of Scarborough’s Salaheddin Islamic Centre, where a fast and frenetic basketball game is well underway. Cheers break out after a three-point basket. “Block someone!” Afnan Assoweh, 14, yells. “Drive up, look around.” The game pauses briefly as the Grade 9 student demonstrates how to properly inbound the ball. Having played basketball with the boys at her school, and watched the Toronto Raptors with her older brother, Assoweh is confident that despite her age, she can help coach the other women in the room. A first-time baller nods, imitates the action, and steps back into the five-on-five. It’s Sunday evening, and as visitors enter and exit the mosque for prayer, the Hijabi Ballers are living up to their name. In thi ...
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