Raptors point guard Cory Joseph talks basketball dreams with CBC Toronto's Dwight Drummond

Soon, the Toronto Raptors will be back home getting ready for their first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, and homegrown point guard Cory Joseph is hoping to play a big role for his NBA team.

Joseph sat down with CBC Toronto's Dwight Drummond to talk about how far the Raptors have come  — and how they can bring a championship home this season. 

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"We have to not worry about making it out of the first round first," Joseph said. "We don't have to worry about that. We have to go in and focus on each possession, each ... game, focus on the details."

This is the third straight year Toronto has made it to the post-season, but the team has been knocked out in the first round two years in a row.

Basketball dreams

Joseph grew up in the GTA and dreamed of becoming a star with the Toronto Raptors since he was a kid. 

"I was dreaming since I was a little boy, you know, playing in the driveway," Joseph said. "This year, when I got to put on a jersey for the first time, opening night, it was very special for me." 

Joseph says that watching heroes like Vince Carter play while growing up had a strong influence on his basketball dreams, his family played a large part, too.

"It was in my blood, I feel like, already," Joseph said. "You know, my whole family played basketball — brothers, sisters, mom, dad." 

Something in the water 

Since Vince Carter's days playing for Toronto, many stars have emerged, including DeMar DeRozan, who just recently passed Carter to become the second all-time leading scorer in Raptors history. 

There's also been a lot of homegrown basketball talent coming from the Toronto area since the Carter era — players such as Andrew Wiggins, Tyler Ennis, Nick Stauskas and Kelly Olynyk. 

But the talent isn't just coming from the local basketball courts. Drake and The Weeknd are dominating the international music scene, as well. 

Drummond jokingly asked Joseph if there might just be "something in the water," but the basketball player said if there is, it's been there for a long time. 

"I always tell people we've always had a lot of talent. We just didn't have this much exposure," Joseph said. 

"You know, I feel like now we have a lot of exposure, with having a lot of athletes, you know, having Drake, having a lot of, you know, actors, and actresses ... It's like a hotbed. Everybody wants to come here now. So just, you know, the sky's the limit from here."

A few of his favourite things 

To help keep Joseph on his toes, Drummond had a quick Q & A with the basketball player. Here are just a few things even the biggest fans might not know about Cory Joseph: 

Q) Favourite food... roti, oxtail or hamburger?

A) Roti canai (a flatbread popular in Malaysia, with roots in Indian cuisine) 

2) Superman or Batman?

A) Superman 

3) Skiing or skating?

A) Skating

Q) Favourite rapper 

A) Drake (good answer) 

Another one of Joseph's favourite things? Winning. Joseph already has an NBA Championship under his belt from his time with the San Antonio Spurs and says he'd love to win another one with his hometown team.