Aden Holloway’s a wisp of a young man, a slight 180 pounds or so on a six-foot-one frame, and he’s not seeking out bone-jarring collisions when he’s on the basketball court.
But somewhere in his DNA lives a football player, and if he’s got to take a hit to make a play, that’s what’s going to happen.
Besides, you wouldn’t expect otherwise from the grandson of one of the all-time great Argonauts, a CFL Hall of Famer.
Holloway, grandchild of Argos and Winnipeg Blue Bombers great Dave Raimey, has an inner toughness that people are discovering in his debut with Canada Basketball’s national-level program.
Holloway — born in North Carolina, but a dual citizen thanks to his mother and Raimey’s daughter — had eight points, four assists and three rebounds in Canada’s 65-62 victory over the United States (represented by the Georgetown Hoyas) on Thursday night to stay alive at the under-23 Globl Jam tournament at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.
He played, as coach Dave Smart said, bigger than he is.
“He’s not a big guy, so as soon as he walks on the floor … he becomes a target,†Smart said of the 20-year-old Holloway. “And at the EuroLeague level or the NBA level, they just hunt guys; that’s what they do.
“Another part is, he’s insanely gifted and talented, so that’s another reason people hunt on the other side of the ball (to get him off the court because of defensive liabilities). Today, he … did not give an inch, he didn’t get hit ... he got back in the play.
“Maybe it just resonated: I’m always going to be this size and I’m going to be this talented. The easy way for other teams is to hunt me on the (defensive) end, so I have to make it impossible for them.â€
Holloway has only heard stories about his grandfather’s football exploits, but certainly knows of the Hall of Fame skills. And when he teamed up with Milton’s Michael Nwoko at prep school in 2022, the plan to represent Canada was hatched.
“It’s been great. They’ve been welcoming me since Day 1, all the guys are getting along. It’s a great introduction to me,†Holloway said Thursday. “I always knew that my parents had Canadian citizenship since I was a little kid. But after I teamed up with Mike in high school, and remembering I had the opportunity to dual citizenship … me and him brought that to life and it worked out.â€
Holloway also got some advice from sister Mila, who played for Canada at the FIBA under-19 World Cup this past summer and enters her second year at the University of Michigan this fall.
“We’re both new to the program — it was her first time, been my first time — so it’s been great,†Holloway said.
It worked out well for the Canadian men against Georgetown. Nwoko led Canada with 12 points while grabbing up five rebounds.
The win, coming off a loss to Brazil on Wednesday, keeps Canada alive in the four-team tournament. A win over Japan on Saturday night (8 p.m., Sportsnet) would assure Canada a berth in Sunday’s final as the men chase their first title in the third edition of the event.
“(Wednesday) night we didn’t feel we were the tougher team, and today I thought without a doubt we were the tougher team,†Smart said. “We threw the first punch. I thought we dictated on the ball, they didn’t come off ball screens comfortably and I just think in general we were physical in the right way.â€
The Canadian women, who opened with an easy win over Brazil on Wednesday, will have a chance to advance to the final when they take on Puerto Rico on Saturday (6 p.m., Sportsnet). On Thursday night, the Canadians fell to 1-1 after losing 70-61 to the Texas Longhorns, representing the U.S.
Sunday’s championship doubleheader will start at 5 p.m.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation