Amid the Raptors’ quest to capture their first NBA championship, Michael Reio can already foresee something else — a surge in interest in amateur basketball across the country. The director and founder of Basketball World Toronto, a local non-profit organization that runs basketball programs for children and adults, says it might be a tad early to evaluate the full impact of this most successful Raptors season on recreational basketball. But he has no doubt the team’s battle against the Golden State Warriors has put them in a bigger spotlight and will lead to increased basketball participation.“The sport of basketball is growing very fast especially at the amateur level in Canada and the infrastructure is really starting to ramp up everywhere,” said Reio, whose organization counts over 1,500 youth (male and female) in its various programs. “The more popular the Raptors are and the further in the playoffs they get, there’s more people wanting to participate in the sports. We keep getting more inquiries every year.”With Raptors fever sweeping the country — the team just one win away from the title — community basketball programs in the city and beyond are bracing for an expected uptick in hoop interest this summer. Game 5 of this series on Monday attracted nearly 15 million viewers in Canada, becoming the most watched TV program of the year and most watched NBA game ever in the country, according to NBA viewership statistics. According to the same statistics, through five games, 50 per cent of the Canadian population has tuned in to watch all or part of the NBA Finals this year.City of Toronto staff declined to compare basketball to other sports offered through community recreational programs, but simply said it’s one of the most popular sports on offer. On an annual basis, there are approximately 275,000 people who attend the city’s basketball programs, and a total of 23,500 basketball course ...
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