By Jonathan Reynoso
Over the summer, professional basketball players took over Kerr Hall’s upper gym.
The BGR8 pro runs hosted by Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold assistant and player development coach, Moustapha Youssouf, are making noise across the basketball landscape in Toronto. In a city abundant with high-end courts and facilities, professionals such as Toronto Raptors’ Scottie Barnes and Chris Boucher and several Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) players shared the court with TMU Bold athletes in a like-minded quest for quality and professional training games.
Walking through the doors into the softly lit gym, it’s impossible to miss the words “Bring Your Game” in the middle of the brown brick walls splattered with yellow paint. Mirrored on the freshly waxed hardwood floors, those walls send a clear message…Kerr Hall’s upper gym is a place for players to compete.
“At the end of the day, we need to create a space where pros can come and consistently rely on getting quality basketball in the summer,” said Eyosias Samuel, who works at the Kerr Hall gym. He deals with operations regarding the BGR8 runs and is a vital part of the program.
From the coaches to the scorers’ tables, even the orange Gatorade jugs filled with water, the runs mimic a game environment. The atmosphere reflects the intention and professionalism these runs have ingrained in the players since their conception.
The runs consist of up-and-down, full-court basketball, pushing players who are not at a pro level yet to their limit and sharpening the tools of those who want to be great. It’s offseason training at a serious level.
“When Scottie [Barnes] shows up and he’s leading the warm-ups, everyone gets on the sideline”
There is nothing new about holding professional basketball runs within the city—it’s been happening for years. But a lot of them have yet to stick, inevitably being lost in time. The BGR8 runs indicate a path to changing that. Setting high standards and ensuring everything is covered down to the smallest detail allows the program to leap like it did this summer.
“When guys walk into a gym and the standards are not set, they won’t respect it if you try to set it once guys get there,” Youssouf explains. “If standards continue changing, then guys start losing respect for it.”
Having no exceptions for the standard makes these pro runs stand out in the city—whether a hooper fresh out of high school or an NBA star, the expectation is to show up and work hard.
“You don’t get to show 10 minutes before the run starts and expect I could come next week just like that. No, you fucking showed up 10 minutes before, I’m going to do my best to replace you,” said Youssouf.
The buy-in from NBA players like Boucher and Barnes fuels the culture developing on and off the court of the upper gym at Kerr Hall.
“You’re a sponge. You’ve got to take in all that information”
The guys with the highest salaries set the tone at these runs. They were the hardest workers in the gym, showing up early and ready to put in the grunt work.
“Boucher showing up consistently three summers in a row and setting a standard of every time he’s in there, working his ass off. That is a standard,” said Youssouf.
“When Scottie [Barnes] shows up and he’s leading the warm-ups, everyone gets on the sideline. Because it’s when those guys buy in and those two guys who work extremely hard—who are good people— show up consistently, It’s really easy for me to hold everyone else accountable,” he added.
Aaron Rhooms, a fourth-year guard for the Bold men’s basketball team, echoed the importance of showing up and being consistent.
“If I come to practice half an hour early, the youngins are going to look at that and say ‘OK, maybe I should come on half an hour early,’” said Rhooms.
Over the summer, Rhooms played professional basketball with the Edmonton Stingers in the CEBL. Playing alongside NBA pros pushes him even further.
Having gone through all the struggles of becoming a pro means Rhooms can demonstrate what it takes to the incoming rookies lacing up for the Bold—he strives to lead by example. This is a valuable asset to nurture incoming players like first-year guard Kevin Toth, who took part in the BGR8 runs.
“The main thing they said is just keep working hard. It’s a grind. No matter what level you’re at, it’s a grind,” said Toth, who joined the Bold out of high school this year.
The most important aspect of these pro runs is that everyone— from young-guns like Toth to pros like Barnes and Boucher—must be able to soak up everything going on around them.
“You’re a sponge. You’ve got to take in all that information and use that information when you come back,” said Bold head coach David DeAveiro, who has coached in the CEBL the past two summers.
He emphasized the privilege that comes with matching up against NBA pros.
“Not everybody gets that opportunity,” he said. “You embrace that opportunity when you get that chance.”
The proof is in the pudding. Clips from the BGR8 Instagram account highlight players like Toth showing out during these pro runs, pushing the break and cashing in some threes. While players like Toth get their name out in a video with the likes of Barnes, it also breeds excitement for a young Bold team heading into the 2024-25 Ontario University Athletics season.
“It gives you an idea, when you’re standing next to Scottie Barnes, just how big and how strong he is, how [important] strengthening your body is getting in the way that you can compete against the elite,” said DeAveiro.
Youssouf expresses how important direction, having good intentions and showing up consistently are the keys to success in allowing the BGR8 runs to thrive and grow.
“You can work hard all you want. If you don’t know where you’re headed, you can be running in circles,” he said, “That is something that’s always worked for me. Again, until it proves me wrong, I’m gonna keep doing it.”
Youssouf said players can get lost in the mix, with the focus going to building a culture and the basketball landscape.
“The landscape gets better by people doing honest work consistently,” he said.
“It’s a grind. No matter what level you’re at, it’s a grind”
Committing to excellence in operating these runs means an expectation for everything to be in order and with that, comes the risk of things going wrong at any given moment. Samuel takes keeping things organized seriously.
“It’s a responsibility, but it’s also a privilege because at the end of the day, all it takes is for one bad day to happen and then guys lose trust,” said Samuel.
Youssouf’s mentality is heavily influenced by his idol Kobe Bryant and his “Mamba Mentality,” where continuously learning, asking questions and making a relentless effort will ensure success. That’s what he envisions from the players and from the program.
“I believe if you put honest effort intentionality into it, do things the right way [and] are consistent, it will handle itself,” said Youssouf.
Youssouf’s love for basketball and the drive to continuously improve fuels a desire to enhance the BGR8 runs.
“The answer is getting better week to week, year to year… having the foundation and consistency within the standard, but also trying to elevate,” he said.
His goal is plain and simple: to provide a staple spot in the city where pros around the world trust they can put work in for years to come. The key to accomplishing that?
A desire to be great.
