'Dream bigger': Newest member of Toronto Raptors hopes to be role model for kids in Rexdale
As the newest member of the Toronto Raptors—and the first Canadian drafted to the team—Dalano Banton hopes to be a role model for kids in his old neighbourhood.
The six-foot-nine and 204-pound guard grew up in Rexdale, near the intersection of Kipling Avenue and Mount Olive Drive. While speaking with reporters on Sunday afternoon at his first news conference as a Raptor, Banton said that his upbringing in that neighbourhood made him the person he was today, describing the community as a “tight knit family.”
“I feel like just having to pick the image of like Canada or Toronto or wherever, it just has this only this one side of it, where everyone's like, super nice, but not understanding that there's real neighborhoods where you have to come out and you know, put on like a tough face,” he said.
“You have to bet on yourself and believe in yourself. Because if you don't, you know, no one's going to do it for you. I learned that at an early age and just to put my mind to something and keep going.”
For Banton, who said the Toronto Raptors was his “favourite team” growing up, this moment was a dream come true, especially for a kid who started his career playing across the street from where he lived at the Rexdale Community Hub, and then the North Kipling Community Centre.
“Just being able to take advantage of those community centers to just keep yourself off the street, keep yourself out of trouble you know, I feel like that was the blessing for me that I had those community centers to just keep me in the gym,” the 21-year-old said. “The same gyms that you're going to today could go a long way if you just keep your mind to it. So it's not about where you are, it's about where you plan to be.”
“Dream bigger, you know, plan to live bigger. That's what I always did.”
Banton even kept his neighbourhood in mind when choosing his jersey—a tribute to the 45 Kipling TTC bus he often took while in Rexdale.
“When I was trying to think of a number that means something to me, I was kind of getting tired of just wearing numbers. I feel like you can always make meaning of something, so I felt like once that clicked to me it stuck,” he said.
During his sophomore season for Nebraska last year, Banton averaged 9.6 points, 3.9 assists and 5.9 rebounds.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.