PROFILE — This 15-year-old is a rising star in Canadian basketball

CBC

8 hours ago

Isaiah led Canada to the finals of a major tournament this summer
Name
Hometown
Oakville, Ontario
Age
15
Claim to fame
Isaiah Hamilton is seen as one of the best teen basketball players in the world.
He could be Canada's next basketball star, according to Bleacher Report, a popular sports outlet who praised Isaiah in an Instagram post on June 3.
He's already received eight scholarship offers from some of the best schools in the U.S. and he's only in Grade 11.
Trust the process.
— Isaiah Hamilton
Isaiah really started to gain attention in June when he represented Canada at the under-16 AmeriCup tournament in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
The tournament is organized by the International Basketball Federation (better known as FIBA).
As an all-star and second-leading scorer, Isaiah led Canada to the tournament final on June 8.
However, he was unable to play because of an ankle injury.
Canada eventually lost to the United States, falling short of their gold medal hopes.
As a rising star in Canadian basketball, Isaiah said this was his first time dealing with adversity.
'I know that I could have contributed and helped my team during that game,' he said.
'But it drove me to find other ways to bring energy to my team.'
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Dominating at the Americup
As a kid growing up in Oakville, Ontario, Isaiah said that it took him some time to fall in love with basketball.
He often played against kids that were older than him.
But once he began playing competitive basketball in Grade 9, his strong defence and his ability to score tough shots eventually led him to join the Canadian national team in April.
That's where he connected with his new coach, Chris Cheng.
'We had a really good understanding right from the beginning of how this experience [playing for Canada] is going to help him grow as a player,' Cheng said.
At the AmeriCup tournament, it didn't take long for Isaiah to show off his skills on the international stage.
He started turning heads in Canada's first game of the tournament against Venezuela on June 2.
Near the end of the game, Canada was up by two points and Venezuela had the ball, looking to tie the game.
Isaiah read the play perfectly. He stole the ball and dribbled up the court — no defenders in sight.
He leapt off his feet, threaded the ball through his legs and slammed the ball in the net, giving Canada a comfortable four-point lead. They went on to win the game.
Isaiah's dunk stunned many fans watching the game — including his dad, Emmett Hamilton.
He said that instead of a flashy but risky move, he wishes that Isaiah would have just played it safe. After all, you don't get more points for a fancy dunk.
'Two points is two points,' he said.
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Cheng agreed, but he said he understands why Isaiah made that choice.
'He's 15 years old and he's got the opportunity to put on a show and that's what he did.'
'Hopefully next time, he'll make a better decision,' he said jokingly.
As for Isaiah, he said that he didn't really think about it.
'I kind of decided what I was going to do once I was in the air,' he said.
These are the sort of highlight plays that you can find all over Isaiah's Instagram page.
Overcoming the injury
Isaiah injured his ankle in the semi-finals when he landed awkwardly after jumping for a rebound, which meant he couldn't play in the finals.
It was a difficult situation for Isaiah, who was hoping to lead Canada to a gold medal.
'At first it hurt a lot,' he said. 'But I wanted to go back in and play.'
The next morning, the pain was worse. The team's therapists told Isaiah that he should sit out for the finals.
A lot of players in that situation might step away from the team, feeling that they have nothing to contribute, according to Cheng.
'But Isaiah didn't do that,' he said. 'Even though he wasn't playing, he continued to bring energy to the team.'
By focusing on what he could control, instead of what he couldn't control, Cheng said that Isaiah encouraged his team to focus and stick to the game plan in his absence.
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Isaiah says that being able to adjust to tough situations is one his strongest skills.
Whether it's in school or on the basketball court, his advice is to 'take life one battle at a time.'
What's next for Isaiah
Basketball players often describe success as a process.
It's something that you're constantly working on and trying to get better at.
Isaiah's advice for those trying to take their game to the next level is to focus on the things you're not good at and try to improve them.
'If you always focus on the stuff you're good at, then you're not going to get better,' he said.
While he continues to work on his game, he's looking forward to representing Canada again at the FIBA under-16 World Cup next summer.
He's also looking forward to accepting one of his many scholarship offers once he's in Grade 12.
Schools like Villanova and Syracuse are eager to recruit him, and he's expecting more offers.
Playing varsity basketball is a necessary step towards becoming a pro.
Hoping that his time to dominate on the big stage will come soon, Isaiah says that he will continue 'trusting the process.'