Hustle Basketball, formerly known as Hoop Reel, is ramping up efforts to provide Sea to Sky youngsters with comprehensive athletic development. That's why they brought in Mike Nuga for an early June day camp.
Nuga signed with the Vancouver Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) in April. The 6-2 point guard averaged 11.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 17 games as a member of the Edmonton Stingers last year, and is a friend of Hustle head coach Bo Banner.
Two sessions were offered: one for kids aged six to 10 and another for teenagers in the 13 to 17 age bracket. One lucky camper received a signed pair of shoes from Nuga, who came away impressed with the dedication of all who participated.
"Being someone who's run many camps, I know Whistler is small and it may not have the biggest basketball community, but just seeing the actual love for the game—I was very happy," he said. "The kids worked hard. They listened very well. Everyone was attentive and they wanted to get better. It's not just [parents going], 'oh, let's send our kids to a program and let them play for a couple hours.' I saw it in their eyes: this was a bunch of kids that actually enjoy the sport."
Nuga's goal as a coach is to make sure his pupils learn and enjoy themselves. Basketball, like any sport, can teach its players work ethic while granting an opportunity to make connections on and off the floor—but these benefits must be earned.
"I always let the kids know that anything in life you're going to take seriously, it's not going to be easy," he said. "But the rewards, if you take it seriously, will always outweigh the obstacles. I just let them know that if [basketball] is something you're serious about, the challenges are only going to make you better … stronger, smarter and able to help other people even more."
'Personality and hunger'
Nuga understands what it's like to take the road less travelled: born as he was in Lagos, Nigeria and raised in Scarborough, Ont. While most young hoopers fantasize about March Madness glory and a lucrative NBA career, he paid his dues at Eastern Florida State College—helping them to an NJCAA Finals appearance in 2017 before transferring up to the NCAA Division I level.
Campaigns at Portland State University, Kent State University and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) followed, but Nuga's name wouldn't be called by any NBA franchise on draft day. Instead he travelled overseas to play in Spain, Kosovo and Latvia in addition to his CEBL career, and he takes all those frequent flyer miles in stride.
"I'm so early in my career and I know there's so many more places to discover, so many more cultures that I'm going to learn," Nuga remarked. "It just teaches me to be grateful. Basketball is taking me literally all over the world. Every time I get on that court … I feel like I would be doing a disservice to the opportunities I've been given if I'm not going 100 per cent. [Being Nigerian and Canadian] just adds to my personality and hunger."
Nuga also praised Banner and his fellow Hustle peers for their commitment to growing basketball in a non-traditional hotbed like the Sea to Sky. The coaches' passion is, by and large, matched by the kids and their parents
"I have much respect for the whole basketball community in Whistler," said Nuga. "Bo and I have our own goals and dreams. I'll for sure be back to Whistler. I'll for sure be working with Bo again to try and get these kids better, get them opportunities and develop their love for the game which will help everywhere in life."
Hustle Basketball offers programming for children and youth in Squamish, Pemberton and Whistler. For more details visit hustlebasketball.ca/hustlebasketball.
