The Canadian Bazaar
TORONTO: Toronto Raptors Superfan Nav Bhatia has created NBA history by becoming the first fan to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Named after basketball inventor James Naismith, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Massachusetts inducted Bhatia on Sunday, creating a Superfan Gallery displaying Bhatia’s items – Superfan turban, Superfan bobble head, Superfan shoes, and his reserved Superfan courtside seat at all Toronto Raptors games.
The display also includes the Raptors jersey given to Bhatia in 1998 when he was officially appointed Superfan of the Toronto team as well as a replica of his Superfan ring that the Raptors gave him when they won the NBA championship in 2019.
Delhi-born Bhatia, who came to Canada in 1984 and is today Canada’s top Hyundai dealer, has not missed a single Raptors game since 1995 when the Toronto team joined the NBA.
For buying tickets worth thousands of dollars each year for kids for home NBA games, Toronto Raptors designated Bhatia as their official Superfan in 1998.
Thanking the NBA for the honour, Bhatia, whose name has become synonymous with Toronto Raptors in North America, said, “Today was a dream. I am overcome with emotion. Thank you to the Hall of Fame. Thank you to the NBA. Thank you to the Raptors.”
Toronto Mayor John Tory congratulated Bhatia for bringing honour to the city.
“Congratulations to Nav Bhatia for being the first fan inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame! Nav is far more than a superfan, he’s synonymous with our Toronto Raptors. We really do have the best fans in the world,” the Toronto mayor said.
READ NEXT: Nav Bhatia – the Raptors Superfan
