Canadian hoopsters cab to athletes' village after bus breaks down

Being humble hoser hoopsters, no one blew a gasket when no bus showed up to pick up Canada's men's basketball team after its practice on Monday.

The entire team, including Anthony Bennett who's due to make $5.8 million US this season with the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves, made for a sight in downtown Toronto on Monday. After the bus that was scheduled to pick them up broke down en route to the Mattamy Athletic Centre broke down, some very tall athletes distinguished by red team-issue backpacks were left stranded at 50 Carlton Street.

Eventually the players hailed taxis to get back to the Pan Am athletes' village, which is in the vicinity of Toronto's Distillery District. That led to the spectacle of centre Sim Bhullar, who at 7-foot-5 is the tallest Canadian to ever play in the NBA, "folding himself into the front seat of a taxi ... The big man from the Sacramento Kings did it with surprising grace."

Toronto cabbies will be pleased, no doubt, that the ballers didn't use Uber. Of course, if former Toronto Raptors forward Matt Bonner had been present, he might have helped the team navigate their way back by taking the subway. In his Raptors days, Bonner, who's married to a Canadian, was notable for using the TTC to get around.

For the most part, transportation glitches at the Pan Ams have been rare. Waiting for a ride is just part of the deal with competing internationally, whether one is an amateur in the purest sense or is a full-time player in the NBA, or NHL with respect to the Winter Olympics. Everyone is on equal footing, which is why the basketball players ride the bus rather than set themselves apart.

Incidentally, the Mattamy Athletic Centre is next door to a Holiday Inn. It was used to house the teams in March when the Ryerson Rams hosted the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Final 8.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @naitSAYger.