NONSTOP

AS THE PLAYOFFS APPROACH, THE TORONTO RAPTORS ARE A VALID CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDER. AND ALL THE DOUBT THAT SURROUNDED THEM? THEY THINK IT’S FUNNY

- FRANKLYN CALLE

THERE IS classical music blasting through the hallway that runs parallel to the baseline at the OVO Athletic Centre in Toronto.

A whole lot of it.

On this brisk and snowy weekday morning in late February, the Raptors players are scattered throughout the state-of-the-art practice facility. Practice is slated to start soon and some of the players are out on the hardwood stretching. Others are already getting some shots up while a couple of them are still in the locker room area.

As the team gets ready to start, SLAM’s staff is simultaneously doing a location scouting walk-thru to prep for our cover shoot after practice. Between wheeling in equipment and figuring out the exact shooting location, we end up being led down a hallway, past a row of offices. It is there where we hear Beethoven’s greatest hits album being played loudly. We think nothing of the classical music at first, other than it’s much louder than you’d expect it to be at an NBA practice facility minutes before the start of practice.

But, hey, we’ve seen and heard weirder stuff on set at shoots.

Then, all of the sudden, the music stops. And then it restarts for a few seconds before stopping and picking up where it left off once again.

Turns out there isn’t a vinyl record playing inside someone’s office. Someone’s actually playing the keyboard. And after a quick glance around the hallway, we realize it’s coming from the office that says “Nick Nurse” in front of it. Wearing a black hat and sitting adjacent to his desk while facing the wall, the Raptors head coach is jamming away on the piano.

No cap, he’s actually good.