The rise of basketball in Canada stemmed from a confluence of events in the mid to late ’90s. I always thought it was purely due to the introduction of two NBA teams in the form of the Raptors and the Grizzlies but what this document introduces is a 3rd group that had substantial influence in the culture as well
The Notic was a Vancouver-based streetball crew whose creativity in style helped to lay the seed for a streetball culture not only in Vancouver but worldwide
Handle with Care: The Legend of the Notic Streetball Crew follows their rise and fall as a group, highlighting the different cultural conditions that led to the group’s formation. It’s an interesting origin story and shows a side of Vancouver you don’t often see
For me it was a great trip down memory lane as there were heavy callbacks to the AND1 mixtape culture that was burgeoning in the early 2000s. As someone who played basketball at the Y in Burnaby back in 2000-2001, it also brought back some nostalgia
Obviously with any documentary, there are conflicts and resolutions throughout the Notics journey which I won’t spoil but beyond basketball, it’s a story about triumphs, redemption and just going with it when you get that chance. An enjoyable time