Advertisement

#CanBall Weekly: Lakers' Robert Sacre doesn't forget his North Vancouver roots

Robert Sacre, Los Angeles Lakers (Getty Images/Rob Carr)
Robert Sacre, Los Angeles Lakers (Getty Images/Rob Carr)

TORONTO – Known for his antics on the bench and locker room humour, it's abundantly clear Lakers centre and Canadian men's national team veteran Robert Sacre is enjoying life in the NBA for all that it's worth.

But even as he's climbed to the top of professional basketball, Sacre certainly hasn't forgotten his roots. While more than 3/4 of the Canadians playing in the NBA have ties to Greater Toronto, a sound argument can be made that the best high-school basketball in Canada was being played in North Vancouver gyms when Sacre was suiting up for the Handsworth Royals from 2003-07.

Robert Sacre, circa 2006. (Rivals)
Robert Sacre, circa 2006. (Rivals)

When Sacre’s Royals took on on their cross-town rival, the Argyle Pipers, the bleachers were packed with engaged fans ready to take in the action. During those days the stakes were high. The winner of the Handsworth-Argyle showdowns could often claim to be the best team in British Columbia. They would both go on to prove it, too. The Pipers won the Triple-A provincial championship in 2004 and Sacre's Royals triumphed in 2006.

"Those games were like the NBA championship for us. It was crazy. I had so much fun playing against Argyle and having that rivalry on the North Shore," Sacre told Yahoo Canada Sports in an interview in the visitor's locker room at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

Sacre was undoubtedly the star attraction, but it was far from a one-man show. Many of Sacre’s Handsworth teammates continued their basketball careers after high school. Most notably, Tyler Kepkay played two years of junior college before closing out his post-secondary career in Division I with Utah and was called up multiple times to the Canadian men's national team. Argyle didn't have anyone with a profile like Sacre, but still sent a number of players to American schools and top CIS programs. The old adage "competition breeds excellence" certainly holds true when it came to basketball on the North Shore in the mid-2000s.

"The North Shore was completely competitive," said Sacre. "West Van was really good, they had a bunch of players at that time. Carson Graham, they just always had athletes, I don't know where they came from but they always had athletes. And of course, there was Argyle."

The grind to get there is why winning the provincial title with Handsworth in 2006 – the Royals beat perennial power Kitsilano 82-65 in the championship game – stands out among his most cherished basketball memories.

"It was one of the best experiences of my life," said Sacre. "I look back at it and I still remember that day like it was yesterday. I'm so happy I got to experience that with some of the great guys that were on my team."

One of Sacre's beloved teammates was Quinn Keast, who died tragically in a pedestrian accident on the night of his graduation in 2006. Sacre carries Keast's legacy with him – Keast lived by the mantra "No Regrets" – and the Quinn Keast Foundation has become an integral piece of the basketball community on the North Shore and across British Columbia.

"The name lives on and I'm very happy to see that even though he's not with us today all his hard work payed off," said Sacre. "He was a great guy and I'm happy there's an organization in his name."

Wiggins, Wolves on right rebuilding track

Andrew Wiggins and the Minnesota Timberwolves have come a long way from where they were just a year ago. After winning just 16 games all of last season, the T-Wolves are 8-12 thanks to the addition of No. 1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns and Wiggins' continued growth.

Wiggins is averaging 21.1 points per game and has been particularly effective in clutch situations, as Zach Harper writes for CBS Sports.

Olynyk doing his part for competitive Celtics

This is how tight the Eastern Conference is this season: the 12-9 Boston Celtics are currently out of a playoff spot, but are also just two games out of first place. Kelly Olynyk came off the bench to score 21 points in both of Boston's wins last week as they attempt to keep pace with their competitors

6-PACK OF COLD SHOTS

1. Ruth Hamblin was recognized as Canada Basketball's women's player of the week after scoring 17 points, grabbing 17 rebounds, and recording seven blocks in Oregon State's 65-58 win over Marquette last Thursday.

2. Jamal Murray and Kentucky lost their first game of the season last Thursday on the road against UCLA 87-77. Murray scored 17 points for the Wildcats in the loss.

3. With CIS basketball off for the next four weeks, here's how the men's top 10 stands: No. 1 Ottawa (7-0), No. 2 Carleton (7-0), No. 3 McGill (4-0), No. 4 Brock (5-1), No. 5 Ryerson (4-1), No. 6 McMaster (5-2), No. 7 Calgary (6-3), No. 8 Western (3-4), No. 9 UBC (6-2), No. 10 Thompson Rivers (7-1).

4. And the women's top 10: No. 1 Saskatchewan (8-0), No. 2. McGill (3-1), No. 3 Ryerson (5-1), No. 4 Saint Mary's (5-1), No. 5 McMaster (5-2), No. 6 Regina (7-1), No. 7 Brock (5-1), No. 8 Laval (3-1), No. 9 Alberta (8-1), No. 10 Queen's (6-1).

5. 53 of Canada's top young basketball players (born in 1998 or later) have been invited to participate in the women's national age-group assessment camp from Dec. 11-15 at Ryerson University in Toronto.

6. Lakers star Kobe Bryant played his final regular season game in Toronto on Monday. Check out the Eh Game story from the scene.

More from Yahoo Canada Sports:

- - - - - - -

Israel Fehr is a writer for Yahoo Canada Sports. Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr