For Ep 112 we sit down with the current @nba Basketball Operations Manager for Europe and the Middle East, Emmy Unaegbu.

From Vancouver to Port Coquitlam, to SFU and beyond Emmy unpacks his life and journey on how he made it to his current destination; Abu Dhabi. Emmy’s story is a great one, a hard-working and consistent basketball player who excelled at many levels and has used those skills to translate to his work and personal life, this episode has lots of “minor details” you might want to hear.

Plenty of great takeaways, reflection on showing up even when you aren’t invited, and how the power of LinkedIn found him a career……it was great to catch up with Emmy and go back in time! Appreciate you family.

Michael Grange is a renowned sports columnist, radio personality, and television commentator associated with Rogers Sportsnet. With a vast knowledge of sports and a keen analytical mind, Grange has made significant contributions to the world of sports journalism.

Grange's journey in sports began at an early age, fueled by his passion for athletics. Growing up, he developed a deep appreciation for various sports and became captivated by their intricacies. This love for sports paved the way for his future career as a sports writer.

After completing his education, Grange embarked on his professional journey in the world of sports media with The Globe and Mail. 16 years later he joined Rogers Sportsnet, a leading sports network in Canada, where he gained recognition for his insightful analysis and engaging writing style. Grange's work as a columnist resonated with readers, establishing him as a respected authority in the field.

Over the years, Grange has covered a wide range of sports, including basketball, hockey, baseball, and football. His in-depth knowledge and ability to provide thoughtful commentary on games, players, and industry trends have earned him a loyal following of fans and readers.

Know the name? If not then tap in and think of Team Canada, University of Virginia, Iowa State and all the way to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Marial has years ahead of him and after a positive season with the Maine Celtics, he looks forward to signing somewhere soon. Marial takes us back to his time growing up in Ottawa being surrounded by four siblings (two who were serious hoopers), and his father who is a former D1 basketball player.

In his Grade 12 year, Marial made the decision to move from St. Patrick’s high school to the storied program at Blair Academy in New Jersey, where names like Luol Deng and Charlie Villanueva also attended.

From there the decision on which school to attend became a tough one. After committing to Marquette, then head coach Buzz Williams left for Virginia Tech so Marial decided to attend the University of Virginia instead. Some great insight and thoughts about his three years there, but in the end he ultimately decided to transfer for his senior year at Iowa State where he averaged 19 ppg in 2018-19, was an Associate Press Honorable Mention All-American and BIG 12 Tournament MVP.

The ups, downs and in-between are all in Episode 110. Marial shows great reflection and understanding of who he is all while staying positive and reflecting on where he’s come.

Anyone in the Ottawa region check out the showcase we have shared and support Marial’s push to grow the game! We wish him nothing but the best going forward, Episode 110 is live!

Dani Langford’s story to the @warriors is amazing. The current manager of player rehabilitation and 2022 NBA Champion goes into deep detail about the importance of relationships and mentors, citing both Alex McKechnie and Rick Celibrini as driving forces to her success.

As a player, Dani won Provincial and National Championships, including TWO undefeated seasons with the SFU Women’s program under the leadership and guidance of her dad - our former guest on Episode 93!

A team-first player and person, Dani quickly tries to scroll by the fact that she was a multiple Can West all-star and CIS tournament MVP winner.

After basketball Dani follows her academic pursuit all the way to Australia and at times thought she may never come back. From there life takes many twists and turns that have now found her in the Bay Area in a fantastic, but busy role and position. At times our listeners may wonder “what it takes” to reach these certain levels and this episode will give you great insight into that………not to mention being a woman in a male dominant industry!

We really appreciate Dani taking the time during her short off-season to be with us. To our local BC listeners come see her and Alex speak at their clinic on August 1st in Langley!

For episode 108 we have a very special guest Diego Maffia! 2023 Canada West Player of the Year, dropped 96 points in a high school game and was recently selected 6th overall by the Vancouver Bandits.

Diego comes on the podcast to talk about growing up in Brazil and moving to Vancouver Island in 2015, the power of community and the importance of giving back, finding his footing at Oak Bay and having a historic high school career, playing for the Vikes and the university experience, and shares his dreams of going pro.

“Everyone is going through something that we can’t see.” - @kevinlove

Kevin Love has been very open about his personal struggles after a public moment years ago. Since that time it’s been Kevin’s mission to help change people’s perspective on mental health.

Mitch sits down with Ellie and Sara from the @kevinlovefund to talk about an important program for school teachers, and how we can support the young people in our lives. Episode 107 is based on a basketball player's story but it’s so much more than that, an important listen for all of us as we work our way through life and the challenges we face.

We hope you enjoy this surprise drop episode, thanks to the great people at KLF for being with us. Feel free to find out more info at kevinlovefund.org! Best of luck to Kevin and his Miami Heat on their historic playoff run!

Back like we never left! Episode 106 has us connecting with current McMaster head coach Patrick Tatham. “PT” and Mitch go back in time to discuss a variety of things; from some poor decision-making as a young person that led to a unique opportunity involving basketball, and why a small D1 school was the right choice.

Patrick’s coaching journey has been a unique one as well, from assistant coaching roles to the G league with a former guest of the show and now leading a storied University program. Patrick talks mentorship from a former guest and the future of the U19 men’s team he is going to lead this summer. The goals and standards are high, we wish the squad best of luck!

No better way to spend your Friday than downloading and subscribing to your favourite hoops podcast! Thank you to our sponsors @parksidebrewery @pgc_hoops and @atobball.

In Episode 105, we catch up with Marek Klassen, a former BC superstar and current French professional athlete.

Marek takes us back to his childhood days where he grew up under the guidance of his father, Dave, who was heavily involved in coaching Athletes In Action. From an early age, Marek was surrounded by professionals and witnessed the dedication required to excel in sports.

During the episode, Marek, the former 2010 AAA Champion and Most Valuable Player for the Yale Lions, shares fascinating stories from his experiences playing collegiate basketball in the US, professional basketball overseas, and even for his hometown team, the Vancouver Bandits!

You don't want to miss this episode, so tune in and remember to like, subscribe, and spread the word to your friends!

Welcome to Episode 104 of A Hoops Journey, where we have the pleasure of hosting Alan Tait, considered one of the greatest BC high school basketball players of all time.

Alan takes us through his remarkable journey, sharing his experiences playing for the dominant Richmond Colts and achieving success in high school. He also shares his experience of being one of the first Canadians to play Division 1 basketball and playing alongside AC Green at Oregon State. Alan reflects on the profound impact that basketball has had on his life during this trip down memory lane.

Thank you for listening!

Jack is a multifaceted creative professional based in Los Angeles. He has a wide range of skills including writing, directing, photography, strategy, consulting, and creating, and is a regular consumer of acai bowls.

Originally from Denver, Jack began his career as a sportswriter and has since contributed to SLAM magazine. He spent three months in Barcelona following LaLiga, was a former 30 Under 30 select, directed Kobe Bryant in "Nike: Mamba Mentality," and created a campaign featuring Leo Messi that received over 140 million views. He co-founded The Rec League, a full-service creative agency and production company in 2018.

A Hoops Journey returns with a highly anticipated podcast after a brief hiatus. For episode 102, we have the privilege of interviewing one of Canada's most distinguished basketball families, the Scrubb family.

Lloyd Scrubb, played for Richmond High and won two national titles in 1984 and 1985 at Uvic under the legendary Ken Shields. After coaching at the U Sports level, Lloyd remained involved in the game at the grassroots and high school levels in BC.

Tommy Scrubb, played both football and basketball at Vancouver College. He is a five-time national champion with Carleton and a two-time defensive player of the year, CIS tournament MVP in 2013, and currently plays for Monbus Obradoiro in Spain while also making multiple appearances for the Canadian national team.

Phil Scrubb, who attended Vancouver College and had an impressive high school career. He won numerous awards in college, including five CIS championships, and represented Canada's national teams on the international stage multiple times. Scrubb has been playing overseas since 2015, and currently plays for Monbus Obradoiro alongside his brother. The Scrubbs are a family with an impressive basketball pedigree that deserve more recognition in the Canadian basketball scene.

For Episode 101 of A Hoops Journey, we have current SFU Women's Assistant Coach Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe!

The Toronto-born BC native joins us to chat about her journey from Ontario, to UBC, back to Ontario, then to Vernon and up Burnaby Mountain at SFU!

She details her path through the Canada Women's National Team, playing in Switzerland, what it felt like to represent Canada at the Olympics and the FISU games, her time playing for the New York Liberty of the WNBA and so much more; Goonies, Ed Sheeran, Beyonce - all that and more on this episode!

We have a great episode coming up for you all. Syracuse Orange alum, former Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets player and proud Montreal native Kris Joseph joins us for Episode 85. We chat with the former Big East 6th man of the year about the hoop scene in Quebec, Kris' upbringing and the hard decision to move to the States as a teen, his dream to play for the Orange and the winding road that led him to the NCAA tournament, the NBA, and a professional career overseas. A great episode with fantastic insight into what it takes to make it at the highest levels. We chat about CEGEP and its "advantages", KD being possibly the greatest bucket-getter in NBA History, how to handle adversity, the Lion King, the 2-3 zone, and so much more!

One of UBC basketball's all-time great guards, former Tournament Director of the BC Boys Basketball Provincial Tournament and legendary builder of basketball Ken Winslade sits down with us. Recorded in the cozy confines of the Langley Events Center, Ken's upbringing and his entry into basketball, his crossing paths with many legendary names and figures in the history of BC Basketball and how he worked hard enough to become an all-time player. Best upsets, best teams, most fun players to watch - if you love the history of basketball in our province, you will love this special episode!

We have respected and longtime veteran referee Karn Dhillon joining us on the podcast for Episode 83 of A Hoops Journey. We release this episode a day before the Junior Boys Provincials to bring awareness to the Pink Whistle Campaign - started 13 years ago when Karn's sister Amanjit was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The grassroots program has since grown tremendously, with the officials in the provincial tournament wearing pink whistles. We end off the show with Karn and Aaron sharing stories, best games that Karn has officiated, hilarious stories featuring the Eberhardt's, Dolphin Park and much, much more!

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Amanjit Payer

We have current Ryerson Rams Men's Basketball Head Coach David DeAveiro joining us for Episode 82! The Toronto native recaps a career from Humber College, to the McGill Redbirds and Ottawa Gee-Gees bench boss stints, the Canadian national team and so much more! He talks about the importance of a well-run program, his own personal journey growing as a coach, and other really great stories and experiences for aspiring coaches to listen to. Langara versus Humber, sequencing, sodium intakes, mustaches and Queen - another fantastic episode of A Hoops Journey!

We have former Handsworth Royal and considered one of the best ballers to come out of British Columbia: Tyler Kepkay. The former Utah Utes' guard outlines a storied (and on-going) playing career starting on the North Shore of Vancouver. Kobe stories, wild JUCO stories, how to train on your own - all this and more for Episode 81 of A Hoops Journey!

We have proud Vancouver Irish alumnus and former UBC Thunderbird John Mills. A long decorated basketball career both as a player and off the court as part of Canada Basketball and various boards in the president, executive director, and co-chair positions, we sit down with the former teacher to chat about his past. We chat all things Vancouver College, UBC, Canada Basketball, and how to fix Canada Basketball as an institution. A fantastic episode featuring Hawkins' Cheezies, Gordon Thorogood, and so much more!

We welcome you back from a brief break with some absolute heat: former Richmond Colt and 2003 Mike Moser Award Winner (Most Outstanding Player in the CIS) Kyle Russell. A small list of his accolades: Canada West Player of the Year, Canada West First-Team All-Star, First Team All-Canadian; an outstanding resumé. Talk about A Hoops Journey - we sit down with the former Thunderbird, Dino, Lumberjack, Snowbadger, Torero - you name it! A wild journey that has roots in the Lower Mainland with some familiar names such as Bill Disbrow and Jonny Lee, we chat with Kyle about his life, how he fell in love with the sport, and so much more! Plus, a tough first minute for accountants, Cory Russell, Frank Ocean and Whoppers!