The NBA is back in Vancouver — for a few days.
The Dallas Mavericks are on the Simon Fraser University campus for a training camp, as they prepare for a new season with new faces — including number one overall draft pick Cooper Flagg.
“I’ve never been to Canada at all,” the former Duke University star said as he met the media after his first NBA practice at SFU.
“It’s really beautiful. It’s really cool to get out to a new place.”
One member of the Mavericks organization who is no stranger to the Lower Mainland is new assistant coach Jay Triano.
The former Canadian Men’s National Team bench boss and longtime NBA coach is excited to be back in the Simon Fraser gym — he currently resides in the school’s athletic Hall of Fame.
“To be back here for basketball is great. The University started my career, first as a player and then coming back to coach. It’s exciting to be back here, and to have it in this gymnasium is really great,” Triano said.
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Triano is not the only Canadian in the group. He’s joined by veteran centre Dwight Powell and young guard Ryan Nembard, but Triano was quick to chuckle when asked about his legendary status on campus.
“I still don’t think [the players] know or care,” he said with a smile.
“We talked to them a little bit about it and gave them some of the history. They just think [Vancouver] is a beautiful place.”
Whenever the NBA comes to the area for a few days, the speculation starts anew about whether or not the league could give Vancouver another go.
Triano worked on the broadcast side with the Vancouver Grizzlies back in the late 90s, and it sounds like many of his NBA counterparts still miss the area.
“To this day, I run into people across the NBA who say the worst trade in the history of the league was Vancouver for Memphis. Even some of the players have said, ‘You mean we could be coming here instead of Memphis?’”
“But I would love to see it happen,” Triano added.
While the Mavericks will head south after the week at SFU wraps up, the Toronto Raptors will play host to the Denver Nuggets in a preseason game at Rogers Arena on Oct. 6.