Superfan Nav Bhatia says it’s only fitting Christmas would fall on Easter.

“When the Raptors and Leafs are in the playoffs it’s Christmas morning,” he says, smiling. “It’s Easter, Good Friday, Passover and Baisakhi too. Holy week. Heaven.”

Playoff fever is coming to home court Saturday when the Milwaukee Bucks come into The Hangar for Game One of the NBA playoffs against the Toronto Raptors.

“I’m excited about this year,” said Bhatia. “This may be the best ever Raptor team. They will surprise a lot of people. but you have to go game by game.”

Along with photographer Ernest Doroszuk I went to Nav Bhatia’s Mississauga Hyundai looking for a pre-game basketball story but ended up with a potential movie script and some serious life lessons.

Bhatia is Superfan as everybody knows. But, giving away tickets to charity and helping raise money for Sick Kids, he’s a super human being too.

“I owe everything to this country. I came here from India 33 years ago with little,” he said. “I embraced Canada.”

He believes because he did “it embraced me back.”

Anywhere Superfan goes he’s a star. “Being positive” has worked for him — and he credits being a Raptors fan as a key component.

True he is the Raptors biggest fan, but he’s also an extension of the team and a close friend to many of the players present and past.

“I tell immigrants to be Canadian first and when things come up because of cultural differences don’t get upset. Don’t get mad about it. Forget about it.”

He has many examples of when he did just that.

“One time I went into a place and a man said “I’ll be right there.” He had ordered a taxi and thought I was his cabbie,” Bhatia laughs.

He certainly could have offered him a ride in one of the 250 new vehicles he has on his lots?

Better yet, why not sell him a car?

“I was not offended. The guy was not being intolerant,” said Bhatia. “I am a Sikh guy with a turban and a lot of taxi drivers are Sikhs. There is nothing wrong with driving a cab. I would be proud to do so. The guy didn’t mean anything derogatory.”

Another time when he was the number one salesman at his first dealership, he was told a gentleman would rather not deal with him.

“When it came time to deliver the car the salesman, who made the deal, was not in so I handled it. I tried hard to do a good job to make sure the man was happy with his purchase.”

Turns out he was so impressed with Bhatia’s knowledge he not only now buys all his cars from him but also refers all his friends and family to the dealership, which ironically Bhatia now owns.

Far smarter than pouting about it, says Bhatia.

When he went for his first car sales job interview in 1984 in Toronto he “didn’t have a car and walked from the Islington station.”

Later it was raining he asked “seven or eight” people at the dealership if they would drive me back to the TTC but no one would. No one except a guy named Steve Wilson.”

Good decision.

“I want you to meet Steve Wilson,” Bhatia said, introducing us. “It’s 33 years later and he’s still with me. I never forgot what he did for me.

Wilson laughs.

“The guy needed a ride to the subway,” he recalled. “No big deal. Was glad to do it.”

Wilson admits he’s glad he did.

“I knew he was special, smart and driven,” he said.

And loyal.

“He had a vibe. An electricity,” said Wilson. “Still does. He’s magic with numbers. He can do six car deals at a time without a calculator.”

What Nav “Superfan” Bhatia is hoping to do starting Saturday from his court side seat is add up Raptor wins.

jwarmington@postmedia.com