Arab Spring
came to Thunder Bay, Ont., about three years before it reached the shores of
North Africa. It came in the form of a solemn-faced basketball player with
roots in Cairo and the eyes and passion (not to mention the serenity and
courage) of a Saladin warrior.
Five years have passed since 20-year-old Yoosrie Salhia, a
six-foot-six post player, left the rough streets of Parkdale in west Toronto
and came north to tiny Lakehead University to
join what was probably the feeblest university basketball program in the
country. During the previous season the audaciously named Thunderwolves had won
just one game (by one point) and lost 30 (often by as much as 30 points).
Thunder Bay,
it should be noted, has (in the words of the old joke) about 10 months of
winter and two of tough sledding.
“I
definitely had to do some adjusting,” says Salhia, who had never been north of
Lake Simcoe and hated cold weather (“I’m Egyptian!” he laughs.) More
significantly, he had never played on a losing team.
And would
not play on one for long.
Coach Scott Morrison had never seen Salhia on the court — not even
on video — when the freshman arrived at the
northern university after
a high school career at Western Tech in Toronto and a year at Weatherford
Junior College in Texas, where he never played a game because of injuries.
To read the entire article written by Charlie Wilkins visit The Toronto Star
