(March 15, 2024) “I have been to every home game since 1995,” writes Sikh Canadian Nav Bhatia in his memoir – The Heart of a Superfan – a book that chronicles his journey from India to Canada and his love affair with the Toronto Raptors. When Nav moved to Canada in the 80s, not in his wildest dreams he had imagined writing a book or being a superfan of NBA franchise Toronto Raptors. But destiny had already rolled the dice, and the Indian-origin found his name etched next to legends such as Kobe Bryant, Chris Webber, and others at the NBA Hall of Fame, thus becoming the first-ever fan to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Also in the pipeline is a biopic, Superfan, for which Kal Penn has been signed on to play the protagonist.
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For the last 24 years, Canada has been witness to his love and support for the Toronto Raptors. Seeing a Sikh with a turban and beard break cultural barriers with his love for basketball was a spectacle for Canadians. “I was the first NBA fan to be recognised with a championship ring. The team gifted one to me in 2019, when they won the title. I felt like a part of the team – it’s one of my favourite possessions,” he said in an interview. In a country that boasts of Raptors fans, what made Nav stand out was his 24 years of dedication and loyalty. This made Penguin Random House approach the superfan for a memoir, who co-authored the book with Tamara Baluja. His memoir, which was released recently, encourages diversity, equality, and acceptance for a man who made Toronto his home in the 80s.
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Finding his feet in Canada
The 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India forced Nav to flee to Toronto in search of a safe haven for his family. But coming to Canada at 33, he had a hard time landing a job in a foreign land despite being a mechanical engineer, owing to his looks. “In the initial years, I cleaned the washrooms, worked as a janitor and landscaper to manage expenses and take care of my family,” he said in an interview.
Nav Bhatia
However, after initial hiccups, he found work as a salesman at a Hyundai dealership in Rexdale but soon became the target of racial discrimination. “When I became a car salesman in the early ’90s, I was the only Sikh in the showroom. I knew that, if I wanted to survive in that environment, I had to be the best. So, I sold 147 cars in three months. Eventually, I became a general manager. I’m still in that business today—I own five dealerships,” the Global Indian added.
A ticket that changed his life
Tired of hustling day in and out, he decided to take his mind off work and bought two tickets to the first game of Toronto Raptors (NBA’s 28th franchise) in 1995. It turned out to be a life-changing moment as he instantly fell in love with the game. “I started buying tickets to all their home games and cheered hard, just like I would for cricket matches back in India.” Even the Toronto Raptors couldn’t ignore their unlikely admirer and soon presented him with a ‘Superfan’ jersey. “In 1998, Isiah Thomas, the executive vice-president of the Raptors gave me the jersey and told me that, from now on, I would represent the Raptors as their number one Superfan. Thirty years later, the only game I ever missed was when I had Covid in 2021.”
After gaining recognition, he began brushing shoulders with NBA biggies such as Tracy McGrady, RJ Barrett, and Chris Boucher. For the last 29 years, Bhatia has been an ever-present figure in attendance for the Toronto Raptors. His devotion to the team is so intense that he once delayed kidney surgery until after the season, fearing he might miss a single match. In 2018, the Toronto Raptors clinched their inaugural NBA title, a historic moment. Nav, known as the team’s ultimate superfan, was honoured with an official championship ring, typically reserved solely for team members, marking the first time a superfan received such recognition for their unwavering loyalty.
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Giving Back
When he’s not cheering on the Raptors from the crowd, he’s tirelessly advocating for his community across Canada. His journey began in 1999 when mistaken for a cab driver while getting his phone repaired, he resolved to change misconceptions about Sikhs in mainstream society. His efforts materialised when he reached out to the Raptors, requesting 3,000 tickets to celebrate Sikh New Year courtside. Generously, he gifted these tickets to children across communities, and soon this took the form of a tradition.
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In 2018, he took his commitment a notch higher by establishing the Nav Bhatia Superfan Foundation, dedicated to making basketball accessible to children by constructing courts and providing equipment. Every Baisakhi, he takes out around 5,000 children of all ages and backgrounds to attend a Raptors game, promoting inclusivity and unity.
His philanthropic efforts aren’t confined to Canada; they stretch across oceans to India. Through his foundation, he partnered with World Vision to launch the Daughters of India campaign, addressing the issue of inadequate sanitation facilities for girls. In 2017, their joint efforts raised $300,000, resulting in the construction of 135 washrooms across 35 schools in Punjab’s Faridkot district.
Now, through The Heart of a Superfan, Bhatia hopes to encourage diversity, equality, and acceptance. Such has been the influence that Kal Penn has signed onto produce and star in his biopic Superfan, and Nav Bhatia is “excited for the film.” Nav Bhatia’s life story is nothing short of a motivation, through which he wants to inspire people. “If an old man with a turban can come to a new country and succeed, anyone can.”
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