Less than a week ago, the Minnesota Timberwolves came to Toronto with the face of the future of Canadian basketball in tow.

Andrew Wiggins—the Vaughan, Ont., native—returned home for the first time as a professional, playing in front of countless friends, family and fans on “Canada Basketball Night” at the Air Canada Centre.

Wiggins was the victim of early foul trouble that evening and the Raptors ultimately won the game, but the night was a success for everyone involved, shining a brilliant spotlight on basketball north side of the border.

Yet before “We The North” and before Wiggins began to turn heads, there was a kid from British Columbia laying the foundation for the success Canadian basketball fans and players are now enjoying.

Steve Nash was a pioneer, and his influence on kids from coast to coast—and around the globe—can’t be overstated.

“He should be a beacon light for how the point guard position should be played for young kids in this country and in the U.S.,” said Raptors head coach Dwane Casey. “He means so much to the game, and I know so much to [Canada].”

Nash officially retired from the NBA on Saturday, just days after Wiggins dominated the Canadian headlines (dubbed “He The North”). The announcement came without much preamble, but wasn’t entirely surprising, many knew Nash’s 40-plus-year-old body would never be the same.

Still, it seemed fitting that his departure came on the heels of the rock-star treatment Wiggins had just received. The torch was probably passed long ago, but now it was official.

“I understand that this is still a great hockey country but basketball now has taken on a life of it’s own—especially with the younger generation,” said Casey. “It’s not just the NBA, but high school, junior high, club teams and stuff like that. It has really grown.”

Casey came to Toronto in the summer of 2011, following a season in which the Raptors went 22-60—the club’s third straight on the outside of the playoff picture. The team suffered through two more losing seasons under Casey, but its improvement was noticeable. And now Toronto is three weeks away from advancing to the playoffs for a second straight season with a second straight Atlantic Division title to its credit.

“In my short time here… I have just seen the interest grow—the passion grow,” said Casey. “Just go on television. I remember the commercials were all curling and hockey. Now there are just as many basketball commercials. The game has grown so much. Kids around the city, you see them dribbling a basketball—playing basketball.”

As he gets set to wrap-up his fourth year in Toronto, Casey speaks with pride about the part he plays in the development and progression of the game here in Canada. It’s not just Wiggins or Nash or Vince Carter that deserve credit, it’s the Raptors’ organization as well.

As the lone Canadian franchise, Casey’s team must help promote the sport and encourage the growth of young talent—both on the court and the sidelines.

“I hope we have,” he said of fulfilling that responsibility. “That’s kind of what I talk about all of the time, when I spend time with high school coaches, AAU coaches and college coaches here in the country. I get calls and emails and I try to give what I can to the coaches from around here. It does give me pride to see the game grow and the interest grow.

“It’s not going to stop. It’s something on the rise and it’s going to be big here for a long time.”