By RON FANFAIR
Claude Nembhard lost his mother at an early age and didn’t know his father. As if that was not enough, he didn’t have a Black teacher from kindergarten through high school.
No one goes through life without having to overcome hurdles.
“I was never fazed by those things because there was a close-knit circle of family members that I spent quite a lot of time with,” said Nembhard. “I was there while they were playing dominoes and music. I was able to stay true to my culture through them.”
He turned the obstacles into opportunities and has been quite successful.
As Ontario Basketball’s new Chief Executive Officer, Nembhard embraces the challenge of leading basketball in Canada’s largest province at a time when the sport is experiencing unprecedented growth in Canada.
There are about 190 clubs in the province with nearly 18,000 paid members. Of the 25 National Basketball Association (NBA) players in the 2023-24 season, 19 are from Ontario.
“The sport has seen tremendous growth in recent years and I am excited to contribute to its continued development in our communities,” said Nembhard whose sons, Andrew and Ryan, play in the NBA and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1, respectively.
What is his development roadmap for growing the sport?
“My vision is for Ontario Basketball to be the premier grassroots organization for players, coaches, officials and upper management,” said the former financial adviser. “What that means is that we want everyone in those spaces to reach the next level. When it comes to players, not everyone will get to the NBA or WNBA. We are going to provide pathways for them beyond just playing the sport. They could be coaches, referees or work behind the scenes in video rooms.
“Why not make a living in the sport you have a passion for? The reality is very few will play in the NBA or WNBA.”
Besides helping players advance in the sport, Nembhard acknowledges Ontario Basketball has some responsibility to ensure they receive post-secondary education that will lead to certification to apply for executive positions.
“We will create a foundation to help groups in under-served communities understand there are pathways for them to get to where they want to,” he said. “When I was asked to serve on an interim basis in the role I now occupy, I was nervous as I was not used to this space. It then dawned on me that I had passed through every program Ontario Basketball provided for me to get to where I am. I did all the work necessary and have the experience.
“I promise we will make a conscious effort to give everyone who wants to stay in this sport and contribute at the highest level an opportunity to do so.”
There are a few Black Canadians in NBA front offices.
Marc Eversley, who attended Cardinal Leger Secondary School in Brampton, was an assistant general manager with the Toronto Raptors, the Washington Wizards Vice-President of Player Personnel and the Vice-President of the Philadelphia 76ers Player Staff before becoming the Chicago Bulls first Black General Manager in 2020.
Courtney Charles and John Wiggins are Toronto Raptors Vice-Presidents.
Teamwork boosts productivity and Nembhard is relying on the people around him for that essential support.
“We have a very good team here,” the former Ontario Basketball Diversity, Equity & Inclusion chair said. “I see myself as the coach to ensure everyone is on the same page working towards one vision.”
Former Ontario Basketball President Kirk Mark has high expectations for the new CEO and his team. They include engaging local professional/semi-professional teams to assist with grassroots development, ranging from camps to seminars.
“Liaising with K-12 schools on an ongoing basis by providing financial and technical assistance without undue financial hardship, facilitating student-athlete scholarships for youths, especially those in under-served communities, providing equitable spaces for all youth, older athlete and senior athletes inclusive of those in the Master’s category to participate without undue financial burdens and developing basketball parent councils to assist with the development and implementation of relevant programs are some of the things I think could assist with the growth of the sport in the province,” added the retired Toronto Catholic District School Board administrator.
Under Mark’s leadership in the late 1980s and early 1990s, three-on-three basketball developed in the province and the 6’ 4” league evolved with NBA Hall-of-Famer Bob Cousy holding tryouts at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus. His executive also facilitated the rise of the NBA in Toronto.
An Ontario Basketball Board member for five years, Nembhard also served as interim director during the COVID-19 pandemic before stepping into the CEO role.
“It is an exciting time for basketball, not only in this province but the country,” said Ontario Basketball Board member Ryan Xavier. “OBA are the leaders in grassroots development in Canada and I am thrilled that with the hiring of Nembhard, we will be able to elevate this organization to new heights.”
As part of Ontario Basketball’s new strategic direction, the organization has reinstated the Provincial Advisory Council which is expected to enhance the game’s growth in the province. The group includes Canada Basketball President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Bartlett, Tony Simms who represented Canada at the 1984 Olympic Games and longtime Raptors broadcaster Paul Jones.
“Canada Basketball is excited to continue collaborating with Ontario Basketball and all our Provincial/Territorial Sport Organization partners across Canada,” said Bartlett. “With Claude and his staff, we will continue to work together to achieve our shared ambition of developing athletes, coaches and officials while ensuring the game of basketball is the most unified, inclusive and safe sport in Canada.”
Though Nembhard was a first year cut at York University, most of his life has revolved around the sport.
With the birth of his sons, basketball became an obsession.
“I am blessed to have two boys who love the game,” said Nembhard.
Andrew Nembhard, who was drafted in the second round by the Indiana Pacers in 2022, caught his father’s attention while in Canada Basketball’s Junior Academy Program.
“He was in Grade Seven and one of the better players and I thought I should try to get a scholarship for him,” said Nembhard, who was a standout basketball player and Student Council member at York Mills Collegiate Institute.
On summer visits to Boston where his brother-in-law (Sean McCann captained the Harvard Hockey team and was taken first in the defunct supplemental draft by Florida Panthers before becoming a Harvard assistant coach) resided with his family, Nembhard envisioned his sons attending the Ivy League school.
“But as they progressed and got better at the sport, it became a secondary goal even though we made sure that their academic marks didn’t drop,” he said.
Last season, Andrew averaged 14.9 points and 5.6 assists in the playoffs while his younger brother is going into his senior season at Gonzaga University.
A big fan of Canadian Cory Joseph who was a first-round NBA draft pick in 2011, Nembhard tried to pattern his older son’s game after the former Toronto Raptors point guard.
“When I first came on the basketball scene, Cory and his brother Devoe were at Pickering High School and everyone was talking about Devoe,” he said. “I saw an OFSSA game they played against Sacred Heart and Devoe was hitting three-pointers from everywhere in the gym. Cory, on the other hand, was doing everything. He was boxing out and making the right plays. I modelled Andrew’s game after him.”
Always seeking the best coaching for his sons, Nembhard gravitated to programs that supported his children.
Asked about some of the people on whose shoulders he stands, Lionel and Michelle Howell were the first names mentioned.
Nembhard coached the Vaughan Panthers Rep team affiliated with Vaughan Basketball Association founded 18 years ago by Lionel Howell Jr. who passed away in August 2019.
“Lionel and his wife (Michelle) were very good to me,” he recalled. “They allowed me to do what I wanted to do with the program. That was where I got my feet wet.”
At Vaughan Secondary School where he also coached, Nembhard met Gus Gymnopoulos who coached his two sons and Canadian NBA players Andrew Wiggins and Nickeil Alexander-Walker when they attended that school.
“Gus is a great coach and mentor to me,” he said. “I learned a lot from him.”
Dave Smart, one of Canada’s most successful college basketball coaches, along with Kevin Boyle and Mark Few who coached his sons at Montverde Academy and Gonzaga respectively, are also high on the list of people he admires and respects.
“My kids have been blessed to be around the best,” said Nembhard. “That is what I want to bring to Ontario Basketball. If we can’t do it, let’s find the best to help us do it for the membership. I have been around a lot of good people in this space and I have used them to help myself and my kids.”
Raised in North York and Mississauga, Nembhard and his wife, Mary, met when he worked part-time at Canada Trust.
They moved to Aurora on January 15, 2000.
The date is etched in his memory because his wife’s water broke that night and Andrew was born the next day.
Married for 25 years, she is the rock of the family.
“I coached a lot when our sons were younger and I was out a lot, but I always had the boys with me and she was very supportive,” said Nembhard who attended most of his older son’s NBA playoff games this year. “When it came to schoolwork and discipline, she ensured that our children didn’t slip up. This would not have worked without her.”
