Toronto Raptors superfan Nav Bhatia offers aspiring kids the NBA treatment at basketball camp
Skills camp includes photo op with Bhatia's championship ring
The man nicknamed the Raptors Superfan kicked off three days of basketball camps for kids in Metro Vancouver on Tuesday.
Nav Bhatia, a businessman who rose to fame for attending every Toronto Raptors home game for more than 25 years, is hosting the camps in cities across the country through his non-profit Superfan Foundation.
A ticket to attend one day of the skills camp costs about $190 and includes a custom jersey and shorts.
There's also an opportunity to get photo with Bhatia and his diamond-studded championship ring, which he received as a gift from the Raptors after they won the NBA championship in 2019.
Bhatia says the purpose of his Superfan Fantasy Basketball Camp is to make kids feel like they are professional players, "to give them the confidence, have them feel like they have been drafted into a WNBA or NBA team."
The camp also includes discussions around teamwork, diversity and community.
Nicholas, who attended Tuesday's camp in Langley, B.C., said he appreciated the skills he learned.
"They taught me how to do my layup a lot more smoothly," he said.
But like many others, he was ecstatic for the photo op wearing the ring alongside Bhatia.
"I can't wait to take a picture with the championship ring," Nicholas said.
Beau Amurao, another attendee, said he enjoyed being treated like a professional.
"I feel like an NBA player, the whole thing, getting our jerseys, getting our lockers, getting everything just feels so nice," he said.
The next camp is due to be held in Mississauga, Ont., in August.