Dr. Naismith’s invention

Michael Ignatieff’s brother apparently finds himself in the middle of a debate over the social implications of basketball.

Andrew Ignatieff, Park Renewal Team Chair and Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff’s younger brother, said a few basketball nets shouldn’t be that difficult to install, monitor and maintain on the existing hard-surface play area. He believes the residents are reluctant to go ahead with the nets due to fear.

“This neighbourhood has the highest concentration of university academics, lawyers, doctors, accountants, professionals, right? So they’re not going to say ‘no.’ But what I find difficult in the dialogue is just how stereotyped people are despite that,” says Ignatieff. “The unspoken thing is the connection between a basketball court and drug-dealing. [People think] kids are immediately distributing ecstasy…and people can whip themselves up into a real lather very quickly,” he continues.