Canadian basketball legend Jay Triano honoured by Canada's Sports Hall of Fame

In the history of basketball in Canada, few have impacted the sport as much as Jay Triano. Raised in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Jay went on to a remarkable career at Simon Fraser University. I had a coach there by the name of Stan Stewartson who was, he was, he taught me how to be mentally tough because everything there was hard, harder than I had ever seen and I learned how to battle through that and then all of a sudden you know I meet Terry Fox while I'm there my very first year which was It was life-changing for me, and then we became friends, and that kind of just changed. Having a hard coach who taught me how to be mentally tough, and being motivated by somebody who is now going to run across the country on one leg. He would play three seasons of professional basketball, but found his greatest success as a player with the Canadian national team. Jake Triel! Team captain for seven seasons, Jay led Canada to a fourth-place finish, their best ever at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Nobody got paid any money to do it. You just did it for the love of the game and the love of your country. And that's what made it so special. When his playing career ended, Jay jumped into coaching. First, back at SFU, and then with the national program. Jack Donahue, I think I learned more life skills than I did basketball things. And those are things that I'll take with me forever, but I also think those are the things that made me the best coach possible. In 2002, Jay joined the Toronto Raptors as an assistant coach, and six years later was named the first Canadian-born head coach in NBA history. Jay has since served in NBA coaching roles for over 24 years. You are an incredible Canadian. Representative as a player, and you've gone on to be one of the most decorated Canadian coaches who helped me develop, and I know that story is the same for so many players around the NBA and Canada. Born, developed, and educated within the national system, Jay Triano is a pillar of basketball in Canada. The fact that I was able to do a sport that I loved, and to be still working in the sport, and then to get recognized like this in this country means everything.