Year In Review: 2022 Memorable Moments
As we near the end of 2022, let's take a moment to highlight significant milestones. Reflecting on small wins, from serving the Scarborough community through the Rumble in the Jungle event to featuring Commissioner Morreale on our Podcast. Our TGQ team is here to share end-of-year highlights.
CEBL Commissioner Mike Morreale Joins Culture Conversation
The Canadian Elite Basketball League has rewrote the script of International Basketball North of the border.
The Canadian Elite Basketball League has rewritten the script for international basketball north of the border. The CEBL Commissioner has fined-tuned the business model after launching in 2017. Mike Morreale joined the Culture Conversation Podcast with creative host Twingq on Opening day. In the episode, Commissioner Morreale shared the historical timeline of the CEBL, identifying a multi-year partnership with Canada Basketball and expansion franchises. The trajectory of the Canadian Elite Basketball League took a defining turn after the signing of hip-hop megastar J.Cole. The shock-wave value and media coverage attracted top-tier media networks like ESPN and Bleacher Report.
“What makes it so incredible for me is that it shines a light on the CEBL which shines a light on Canadian players and the other players in our league. I underestimated the impact J. Cole was going to have. I knew it was going to create some buzz, but I didn't expect it to be incredible.” - Mike Morreale
The Home team Scarborough Shooting Stars, created by the founding members of OVO, added some newfound excitement to the CEBL. The home games became a star-stubbed attraction, with A-list celebrities like Drake, Boi1da, Kardinal Offishal, and J.Cole all in attendance. Not bad company for a Canadian start-up league that had six teams in its inaugural season. The future of the CEBL will include adding expansion franchises over five years to complete a divisional model. The new addition of the Winnipeg Seabears' brings new energy for the 2023 season.
SLANS SPORTS PRE-DRAFTS ‘22
In May 2022, TGQ partnered with Slan Sports Management and ICANBALL to produce the first-of-its-kind pre-draft workouts. Each year a batch of draft hopefuls strive to make their dream become a reality of playing in the NBA. NBA/Pro Skills Coach Jelani Matthew held a one-month intensive training plan for five athletes. Before reporting to team workouts, each athlete completed a series of testing and assessments. The 6'8 prospect Brandon Horvath received NBA wors from the Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, and Sacramento Kings. Slan Sports Management's new crop of talent invades the European market, with all five athletes signing contracts across Europe. Europe has become the primary market for finding defining talent. The influx of NBA international stars highlights the track record with the Euro League and NBA.
6th Annual Rumble In the Jungle
The 6th Annual Rumble In the Jungle took place at Scarborough’s JPII. (Photo by: @aezcrpio)
A highlight of the summer was the 6th annual Rumble in the Jungle. Our team created a safe space for over 650 community members and educators. The vendor market highlighting local businesses supporting their communities, EKS Collective and Crane Apparel had the opportunity to sell their products and services to community members. The Rising Stars game was one of the ages, with Canada basketball prospects Michael Evbagharu and Justin Chase stealing the spotlight. The human highlight reel Justin Chase shut down the gym with an alley-opp dunk. The Scarborough native led team white to a convincing win. Justin Chase earned Player of the Game honours, finishing with a game-high 30 points.
The Men's Blue and White game has always been the main event at the Rumble, but with a hard act to follow from game one, The OGs put on a show. This high-scoring game featured ten players scoring in double figures. Team Blue led by the sharpshooter Jason Calliste made history, pouring in a record of 11 3PT FGs and recording 46 points The clear-cut MVP, Calliste, adds a historical game to his collection. Tyrell Gubbs and Negus Webster-Chan earned Player of the Game honours presented by Bounce Apparel.
Six years and counting, our team dedicated our efforts to creating social impact in the JPII community. In 2023, our team will launch the JPII Athlete fund. The fund will support the next generation of student-athletes that face systemic barriers. The five-year plan is to create a high-performance environment for student-athletes.A Special thanks go out to all our participating sponsors: Bio Steel, Forever Young and Faded, Oppono Lending Company, Crane Apparel and JPII.
October Fit Fest Presented by Raeden Fitness and Lululemon
The TGQ Booth was front and center at the October Fit Fest. (Photo by: Bradlee Dela Cruz)
Canadian Small Business Month highlights local businesses that support their communities. The October Fit Fest powered by Raeden Fitness and Lululemon was the largest fitness event in Scarborough. The event featured interactive fitness activities, games, a Live DJ, and brand activation. TGQ was recognized as a community brand and joined local vendors at the festival. As a selected vendor, our team had the chance to interact with other small community brands and members across the fitness industry. We also had the opportunity to promote our products and services to fitness professionals. The first-ever fitness festival in Scarborough was a success and we're looking forward to seeing the event grow in the future.