Marcus Carr relishing opportunity to represent Team Canada on his home turf at GLOBL Jam

Marcus Carr can’t wait to get home.

The Toronto native is currently in Atlanta putting in the offseason work for another year with the Texas Longhorns, but the second he heard about GLOBL JAM, it was a yes.

“Once I got the call for GLOBL JAM, for that opportunity, I pretty much jumped at it,” Carr said. “I had a short amount of time [after the season] to go home to my family and after that, I was pretty much just right back to work. I've just been training with my trainer [in Atlanta], trying to get ready. [With GLOBL JAM] we're playing at home in Toronto. Obviously, I don't want to pass that experience up."

It’s impossible to top the excitement of getting to play in front of family and friends at home for the first time in five years, but Carr is also thrilled to put on the red and white jersey again. This will be his first time representing Canada since winning a silver medal in Argentina at the 2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Men.

“I hadn't played for Team Canada in a while, so I just felt like now is that opportunity,” he said. “To get to do that at home, especially in front of your family, and [we’re] getting a chance to have our own home court advantage.”

Carr has always been surrounded by basketball. His older brother, Duane Notice, who has played with Raptors 905 as well as the CEBL’s Hamilton Honey Badgers, is five years older and fell in love with the game first. As Notice’s devotion grew deeper, Carr was there to follow, going to his brother’s games and dribbling a basketball on the sidelines, wanting to be part of the action himself.

The two grew up Toronto Raptors fans and getting to go to games was a childhood highlight. When they weren’t watching the Raptors or at practice themselves, the two were often outside playing one-on-one where Notice did not go easier on his younger brother. Carr remembers more than one occasion where he’d storm into the house “teary-eyed” after a particularly deflating defeat.

Despite years of competition, the game only strengthened the bond between the brothers.

“He was my first idol, the first person I wanted to be like, the first person I really emulated,” Carr said. “I wanted to wear his clothes, do everything he did, go wherever he went. He was my older brother.

“Our relationship was kind of interesting throughout the years, you know,” Carr continued. “Even though I said that he had always been my idol that I looked up to, we still always had that sibling rivalry. Now, we're kind of inseparable.”

With Carr stateside, finishing out his NCAA career while Notice is back home playing in Canada, the two talk daily, via text or FaceTime. Turns out there’s no better sounding board than the brother who will always give you the truth, good news or bad.

“He’s been through it all before I’ve been, just because of our age gap,” Carr said. “Whenever he was finishing doing something, I was kind of entering into it. We joke that my mom did that on purpose and it ended up working out for us for sure.”

Carr has had many highlights already in his young career, but says this past NCAA tournament — his first time experiencing it — ranks near the top.

“Having that experience with my teammates is something I’ll never forget,” he said.

The 2022 NCAA tournaments saw a record number of Canadians, both men and women, competing. The continued growth of the game is something that Carr has noticed himself and is extremely proud to be part of.

“It's almost indescribable,” he said. “It's kind of surreal, to see how far basketball is growing [in Canada]. Just the exposure and the broadcasting, a record number of Canadians in the tournament, it's really not a coincidence. Just to be a part of that growth, it's pretty surreal because I just remember not even being able to watch any of the games at all. And now, you know, my family calls me and says that they were watching [the tournament] at home.”

Carr’s family and friends will now have an opportunity to watch him play in person in just a month’s time, cable not required.

“Whenever I go home, I always appreciate it,” he said. “There’s really nothing like home, at all. I love coming home, being with my family, being with all my people.”

Another reason why Carr can’t wait for GLOBL Jam to bring the best talent in the world to Toronto? To show off his city, of course.

“I’m always bragging about it,” he said. “I’m always telling them we have the best city in the world. And honestly, anyone who’s been to Toronto, they agree with you, so yeah. I'm excited because they’ll all get to experience it as well.”

This story was first published by Canada Basketball.