He's one of the most recognizable people at any Raptors game — and he's not even a player
5 things you might not know about Nav Bhatia, the Toronto Raptors' most famous fan
Watch Superfan: The Nav Bhatia Story on CBC, Friday Dec. 3 at 9 p.m. Now streaming on CBC Gem.
Nav Bhatia, aka the "Superfan," has been at almost every single Toronto Raptors home game since the team was founded in 1995: sitting courtside, shouting at the players, trying to rile up their opponents.
For years, he felt like the "only guy with a turban and beard" in the crowd. But today, the Raptors boast one of the most diverse fan bases in the NBA — and some of that is thanks to Bhatia and his commitment to bringing different communities together through basketball.
Bhatia is a star in his own right, as recognizable as any Raptors player past or present. His positivity and passion for the team are infectious. But there are lots of things people might not know about the man behind the name. In Superfan: The Nav Bhatia Story, a CBC Documentary Special, we get to know the real Nav Bhatia, following his journey from newcomer to Canada to world-famous Superfan.
He came to Canada to escape persecution...and life was still difficult
"In the early '80s, my plans were to settle down in New Delhi, India," Bhatia recalls in the documentary. It was 1983, and Bhatia had just met Arvinder, his wife of nearly 40 years. They were making plans for their life.
"I wanted to open a business in India. But sometimes life has other plans."
In 1984, violence broke out between Sikh separatists and government troops, sparking deadly attacks around India. In October of that year, when Prime Minister Indira Ghandi was murdered by her Sikh bodyguards, thousands of Sikhs were targeted and killed in retaliation.
"We as a family decided to get out of India," says Bhatia. "And Canada was the country which gave me the visa."
Bhatia and his family arrived in the Toronto area. He started to look for work right away. Trained as an engineer, Bhatia believed he was qualified for work in his field but, "nobody in '84 in Canada wanted to hire somebody with a turban and beard."
"My next step was to look for a job, maybe as a car salesman, because you don't need a qualification for a car. You need to just love the people and the cars." After months of searching, Bhatia landed a job as a salesperson at a Hyundai dealership.
Bhatia sold 127 cars in three months (a Hyundai sales record that still stands) and later became manager of the dealership. Today, he owns three Hyundai dealerships.
He's behind the only time an elephant has pooped on an NBA court
In 1999, Bhatia had a big idea: to bring together children from across the GTA to celebrate Vaisakhi, the Sikh New Year.
"His ultimate goal was to just put people of all different backgrounds next to South Asians and Sikhs," says Rinku Ghei, Bhatia's brand manager.
"When I requested [the] Raptors to sell me 3,000 tickets so that I can celebrate Vaisakhi on the center court of the Raptors, they were confused," says Bhatia. It had never been done before, and the Raptors were afraid to risk the empty seats. But they had nothing to worry about: school buses brought kids from all over to the game — and one of the grandest halftime shows the team had ever seen.
"It's the only time an elephant has been on an NBA court," says Tom Pistore, Former VP of Sales and Service with Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment.
"And … also decided to crap on an NBA court."
He's the first non-player to receive a NBA Championship ring
When the Raptors won the NBA championship in 2019, Raptors president Masai Ujiri presented Bhatia with his very own ring. It was the first time in history a fan has received a player's ring.
"The fans are such a huge part of what we do," said Ujiri at the presentation. "Nav is part of who we are and he represents our fans. Thank you for everything you do."
"Raptors did surprise me on that," says Bhatia. "Since I got this ring, maybe 10,000 people have worn it and taken a picture with it. I want to give every fan an opportunity to feel proud about the championship ring, because it belongs to all of them as much as it belongs to me."
He has a spot in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
In 2020, Bhatia was further honoured, this time by the NBA. He became one of the first honourees in a new superfan gallery at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
"I'm speechless right now," said Bhatia at the induction ceremony. "I especially want to thank my daughter Tia Bhatia and my wife Arvinder, who have made the ultimate sacrifice over the years so I could live as a Superfan."
He runs a charitable organization to build basketball courts around the world
Bhatia has always been about bringing people together. One of his goals is to eliminate the discrimination he faced after he arrived in Canada.
Bhatia has created The Nav Bhatia Superfan Foundation, which raises money to unite "people of all ages and backgrounds through the game of basketball." The foundation builds basketball courts and runs camps for youth across the globe.
"Basketball is a part of my success," says Bhatia. "Not that I'm a good basketball player, but the principles which I've learned from basketball… If you treat everybody like you want to be treated yourself, you're going to have one beautiful world."
Watch Superfan: The Nav Bhatia Story.
