An awkward silence fell over the crammed dressing room of basketball hopefuls at the OVO Athletic Centre.
asserted
silence → fall → Centre
Someone had made the mistake of saying: “We’re going to have fun today, right?”
asserted
We → make → fun
He was met with silence as hopefuls bolted for the court without a word, sizing each other up before battle.
asserted
hopefuls → meet → battle
That was when I realized what I was getting into.
asserted
I → realize → what
There were two extremes of people who showed up at the Raptors 905’s annual open tryout last month.
asserted
who → be → tryout
Some were fighting for one last shot at their basketball dreams.
asserted
Some → fight → dreams
Others paid $275 to find out exactly what separates a dreamer from a professional.
asserted
what → pay → professional
I wanted to experience what it was like to be a pro for a few hours.
asserted
it → want → hours
One person brought his own basketball and refused to let anyone touch it.
asserted
anyone → bring → it
Another group savoured every moment, taking selfies with their 905 practice jerseys, capturing videos of the hallways and snapping pictures of posters of Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, taken when they first joined the organization and won an NBA D-League title with the 905 in 2017.
asserted
they → savour → 2017
I’ve seen the dedication and talent needed to become an NBA player.
asserted
I → see → dedication
I have none of that, and knew my hopes of making the 905 were less likely than winning the lottery.
asserted
hopes → have → lottery
I’ve been a washed-up basketball player for more than a decade, left to spin tall tales of my high school glory.
asserted
I → wash → glory
Days before I took the court, head coach Noah Lewis warned me what to expect.
asserted
Lewis → take → what
“The tryout is intended to be NBA workouts,” Lewis said.
asserted
Lewis → intend → ?
“We’re not trying to tone this down to fit the level.
asserted
We → try → level
We want to see who can do this, who can play at this level and figure out how to play in the Raptors 905 systems and constructs.”
asserted
who → want → systems
The 905 are the Raptors’ G League affiliate, which acts as a farm system for the main Toronto team, developing young players who are looking to crack an NBA roster.
asserted
who → act → roster
Training camp for its 12th season begins Oct. 26.
asserted
camp → begin → season
In the three-hour tryout, the 905 coaching staff put about 40 of us through a series of shooting, dribbling and defensive drills.
asserted
staff → put → drills
We got a chance to learn a bit of the offensive and defensive principles that the big club uses and they tested our ability to apply them in live situations.
asserted
they → get → situations
Players have made the 905 from tryouts and earned real court time.
asserted
Players → make → time
Tyreke Key, a former college basketball player, signed with the 905 after last year’s tryout and later joined the Raptors on a 10-day contract.
asserted
Key → sign → contract
Brampton native Jaden Bediako also made the 905’s opening-day roster from the open tryouts.
asserted
Bediako → make → tryouts
“I’m not looking to find a person to put the ball in the hands for 40 minutes a game,” Lewis said.
asserted
Lewis → look → minutes
“I’m looking for someone who can come in, be in a rotation, figure things out, play with (others) and be a high-character person.
asserted
who → look → others
It’s people who can pick up and do all the little things really quickly.”
asserted
who → ’ → things
I thought Lewis might have been describing me.
uncertain
Lewis → think → me
In my prime as a basketball player I once fancied myself a poor man’s Tony Allen, but gave up playing competitively after my sophomore year in high school when I realized I had no shot of making it professionally.
asserted
I → fancy → it
Allen made a name for himself as a legendary defender in the NBA, and I loved the challenge of guarding the best players and talking trash when they couldn’t score on me.
asserted
they → make → me
I didn’t care much for scoring.
asserted
I → care → scoring
After the first drill, I questioned if I could last the full workout.
uncertain
I → question → workout
You needed to be in top shape to survive the three hours and I was far from that.
asserted
I → need → that
I had wanted to work on my cardio, but those plans never materialized.
asserted
plans → want → cardio
“We probably could have hydrated you a little bit better.
uncertain
We → hydrate → you
You would have been a little more ready to go,” Raptors 905 general manager Scott Brown Jr. joked after seeing me go through the tryout.
asserted
me → go → tryout
“A lot of people, when they hear the tryout, they probably think we’re going to walk them through some layup lines.
asserted
we → hear → lines
“This is a pro workout, and you can see exactly how you stand out.”
asserted
you → see → ?
I took any chance I got to take a break during the tryout.
asserted
I → take → tryout
I went last in most drills to catch my second wind and make sure I didn’t make a fool of myself.
asserted
I → go → myself
…and 19 more, not listed.
The Aporia
