Written by Malak E., Edited by Dania Z.
For many Raptor fans, Nav Bhatia is an icon, primarily known for his enthusiasm during games as he cheers on the Toronto Raptors from his infamous seat courtside, seat A12. However, like many Sikh Canadians today, Nav Bhatia’s story in Canada began as a first-generation immigrant in 1984 from India. The journey of settling in Canada was not easy for Nav Bhatia as he faced racism and discrimination that he utilized as a way to find hope and persevere. Finding passions, upholding his Sikh values, seeking the good in everyone, and utilising basketball as a tool to impact the community are just a few reasons he was admitted into the prestigious Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as the first ever fan.
The Seven Sikh Virtues showcased in Nav Bhatia’s actions:
There are specific virtues that are showcased through Nav Bhatia’s character which are practised by approximately 30 million Sikhs around the world. Honesty, compassion, generosity, humility, integrity, service, and spirituality are among these virtues. As a new immigrant, Nav Bhatia endured discrimination in and out of the workplace, with many people attempting to drive him away from his religion and culture. Nav Bhatia recalls an incident from his early days in Canada when an individual mistaken him for a taxi driver as he approached a phone booth. Nav Bhatia didn’t let the pressure of discrimination interfere with his objectives and dreams, referring to them as “speed bumps and challenges, not the ‘d word’”. Despite not finding a job with a Mechanical Engineering degree during his early days in Canada, Nav Bhatia worked jobs that people might wrongfully otherwise refer to as degrading. He did, however, everything with pride and dedication: "I do everything with passion. When I was a janitor at the car dealership, I made sure I was the best janitor.” Soon after, he was able to secure a job as a car salesman. He was able to sell over 127 cars in less than 90 days setting a record for most cars s
old by maintaining a positive mindset that encouraged him to keep going. He was soon promoted as a GM and after a decade, Nav Bhatia was a self-made millionaire, owning two Hyundai car dealerships in Toronto.
Basketball and the Toronto Raptors: Inspiring change through sports:
The journey of success for Nav Bhatia continued when he discovered the game of basketball, he was able to use it as a way to encourage the younger generation, diversify the demographics in basketball, and promote inclusivity through modelling good character. As the Toronto Raptors’ inaugural season was days away from tip-off, Bhatia would make a life
changing decision and that was to buy two Toronto Raptors tickets. When asked about the reason for his sudden interest in basketball, Bhatia mentioned that he wanted to discover hobbies and basketball sounded like a fun game: “It seemed exciting and there was a new team. So, I said to myself that I’m going to start watching this interesting game.” As the Raptors season progressed, Nav’s commitment to watching basketball grew, but so did his awareness of the lack of diversity in the arena stating: “25 years ago, I was the only South Asian in the arena wearing a turban.” As a strong-minded and determined individual, he decided to buy over 100 tickets and distribute them at Gurdwaras, Mosques, Churches, and between community groups to bring different groups of people together to watch the games at the arena. Despite the increasing popularity of basketball across diverse communities, the most recent incident of discrimination that Nav Bhatia could recall was an interaction between him and a Miluwakee Bucks fan during the Eastern Conference Finals matchup. The fan tweeted: “Who’s the more annoying #Raptors fan? Drake, or the fat Indian guy with the underwear on his head?” Many people resorted to cyberbullying as a means of retaliating against the individual. Nav Bhatia, on the other hand, responded with patience and understanding. Instead of resisting the individual’s apology, he accepted it and decided to invite him and his son to a Milwaukee Bucks game and a dinner. The lesson that Nav Bhatia wants everyone to learn from this experience is to “treat others the way we want to be treated and continue to be a team member and lift everyone up without any conditions.”
Community Impact:
Nav Bhatia’s opinion on his favourite Raptor of all time is valued to many Raptor fans as the Superfan. Many would assume his judgement would solely be based on the player’s basketball abilities. However, the biggest factor in choosing Vince Carter as his favourite Raptor of all time was the way he dealt with children and was an active member in the community. Like Vince Carter, Nav Bhatia values involvement in the community, “Basketball has given us the opportunity to serve the community, bring kids together, and bring the people together.” As opportunities to give back to the community emerged, Nav Bhatia jumped at the first chance to help build four basketball courts in Malton, a place he holds
close to his heart. “Malton is very special to me,” Bhatia said. “It is where my family began our life in Canada. It was here we were embraced by the rich diversity of the community; families much like ours, excited to begin their lives in Canada or to help those newly arrived.” The Superfan Foundation continues to grow today with a purpose to provide accessible basketball courts and camps for children. Through his commitment to the community, Nav Bhatia was recognized by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in which he describes as his most cherishable moment: “When I saw myself, a guy wearing a turban among Kobe Bryant and other greats, I cried. I looked up and said ‘Mom, I kept my three promises to you; No smoking, No drinking, and don’t cut your hair.’”
Throughout Nav Bhatia’s life, he was faced with two options to resolve a problem; one that was easier and seemed most ideal at the moment; and one that required patience to produce the best results. Nav Bhatia’s life is an example of trusting the process and being calm, maintaining his integrity, and following Sikh morals and values that influence his behaviour on a daily basis. Results of his career and life choices can not only be measured through the numbers, but also through the immeasurable success of others whom he has inspired through the Superfan Foundation and his contagious optimistic personality.
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