The Heart of a Superfan by Nav Bhatia, with Tamara Baluja
CBC Books | Posted: October 18, 2023 6:42 PM | Last Updated: March 20
A memoir about triumphing over adversity and falling in love with the game of basketball
You know him as the Raptors Superfan, but Nav Bhatia's story is bigger than basketball. Nav immigrated to Canada from India after experiencing many hardships—only to face a host of new challenges. Life as an immigrant was gruelling and grey...and then, a new basketball team came to town. As Nav cheered on the Toronto Raptors at game after game, as they lost, as they won, on the good days and the bad, he discovered inspiration and community in the greatest game on Earth, formed life-long bonds with many of the best players the sport has ever known, and solidified his own place in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
In this memoir, Nav shares his incredible personal story of triumphing over adversity and shares the lessons that propelled him to success in all facets of life: as an entrepreneur, movie producer, humanitarian, son, father and husband, and the Raptors most dedicated supporter. And woven throughout the book are intimate, colourful behind-the-scenes stories about the Raptors — from their very first game in 1995 to their 2019 Championship win, and beyond — that only the Superfan could know.
This is a book about loyalty, perseverance and the power of sports to unite us across differences — and, most of all, about how following your passions can lead you to the most extraordinary places. (From Doubleday Canada)
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Nav Bhatia is a business owner and the founder of The Nav Bhatia Superfan foundation, which aims to unite people through basketball around the world. He is the first non-basketball player to receive a NBA championship ring and is honoured in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.