INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Anthony Bennetts path to the NBA began on a couple of basketball courts in north Torontos hardscrabble neighbourhood of Jane and Finch, and was paved by a mom who takes hard work to an entirely different level. [url=http://www.clearanceairmaxcanada.com/air-max-270-canada-sale/ma

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Anthony Bennetts path to the NBA began on a couple of basketball courts in north Torontos hardscrabble neighbourhood of Jane and Finch, and was paved by a mom who takes hard work to an entirely different level. Air Max 270 Womens Canada . The 20-year-old Bennett made history on Thursday when he became the first Canadian selected No. 1 overall in the NBA draft. And when he was introduced by the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Friday, Bennett and his mom talked about a journey that may have seemed improbable. But to them, nothings impossible. "Anyone who sets a goal for themselves and wants to achieve it, you work hard, you can accomplish anything," Edith Bennett said. "So thats what he did." Basketball for Bennett began as a way to keep busy in Jane and Finch, a neighbourhood that has a notorious reputation for its poverty, guns and drugs. "Jane and Finch is what they say is a ghetto but its not," Edith Bennett said. "It depends on the individual. You could grow up in the worst part of the community, that wont stop you. It depends on the person." The single mom moved the family to Brampton when Bennett was 10 to give them a "better life" and get him away from certain friends All the while, Edith Bennett was working two full time nursing jobs, beginning her days at 7 a.m. at a Toronto rehab hospital, and finishing at 11 at night at a psychiatric facility. Her work ethic obviously rubbed off on her son. "Hes a hard worker," Edith said. "Its in the family because I am a hard worker and he saw me work hard and then he said he wanted to do the same, so it motivated him to never stop working, push to the extreme and achieve what he wants." There were no basketball courts where they moved to in Brampton, a newer community of just houses and dirt lots. So it wasnt until six or seven years ago, when his mom signed him up for a club, that he began taking the sport seriously. "I just started growing," Bennett said, through a wide grin. "And everyone said, You should probably play basketball. So I said, All right. Ill give it a shot. Look where it got me now." Look indeed. The six-foot-seven power forward from UNLV topped fellow Brampton native Tristan Thompson -- they grew up less than five minutes from each other -- for top Canadian. Thompson went fourth overall two years ago, also to Cleveland. "Canada basketball is really on the rise right now," Cavs general manager Chris Grant said. "I have a feeling there will be another Canadian picked rather high next year too (Andrew Wiggins). "So theyve done a nice job, kids have grown and become talented, and were excited to be part of that. Tristan has grown amazingly the last two years and we expect Anthony to do the same thing." Bennetts accomplishment comes in the midst of heady days for Canadian basketball, with Wiggins being touted as the top pick next year -- and more where Wiggins came from. "Its huge," Bennetts agent Mike George said on Thursday nights historical event. "It just shows how far weve come. Weve come from a hockey country, and having this growth within basketball, and you can see by the different guys who are successful in college, and obviously by the pros who are in the NBA now, and this is kind of the pinnacle part where youve got a No. 1 draft pick, first time in Canadian history. "And that could be repeated next year, which is incredible." Bennett, who was the Mountain West Conference player of the year and averaged 16.1 points and 8.1 rebounds for the Runnin Rebels, said his strengths are his versatility, his rebounding and his unselfishness. Hes a decent dunker too. The Canadian laughed when asked about a list he used to keep of players hed dunked on. "I just though it was pretty fun to do," Bennett said. "It was between me and my friends growing up in Canada. It went up every game, every game, it kept going. I think I gave it to a year and a half, until I got to like 100. Then I stopped." Hes looking forward to playing alongside Thompson -- although theres a chance he could wind up being the other Canadians backup. "I feel like me and Tristan will become best friends," Bennett said. "Hes going to be my go-to guy just because hes from Canada. Im sure there are lot more guys on that team I can go to, but just because even if Im here in Cleveland or back home in Brampton, I can talk to him anywhere I am." Both Brampton players attended Findlay Prep in Las Vegas, Bennetts mom sending him to the elite basketball school when he was just 16. "To let your son leave, it was very hard, very difficult," Edith Bennett said. Shes happy shell finally be able to make most of his games. "Just a four-hour drive," she said, smiling. Edith Bennett still works two nursing jobs, but only one of them is fulltime now. "Im not going to stop," she said. "I like working, taking care of patients and to see the expression on their face when you do something nice for them." For Anthony Bennett, the next few months will be continuing his gruelling rehab from his shoulder surgery in May. Bennett will miss summer league, but is expected to be back in time for training camp. As for his mom, she still works two nursing jobs, one full-time and the other part-time. Air Max 720 Canada .Y. -- Mark Steenhuis scored four goals and added two assists to lead the Buffalo Bandits over the Toronto Rock 12-10 in National Lacrosse League action on Saturday. Nike Air Max Flair Canada . A player confirmed to TSN on the condition of anonymity that he received his ballot yesterday. Another confirms hes been told to expect his shortly. "The unions executive committee insists a strike vote does not mean were pushing away from the table," the player said. "But we want the league to know were serious about our position. http://www.clearanceairmaxcanada.com/air-max-tailwind-canada-sale/tailwind-7.html . It has been eleven years, eight months, and 261 days since I played my last CFL game.MINSK, Belarus -- Wanting Team Canada to improve game by game at the world hockey championship, coach Dave Tippett thought the quarter-final effort against Finland was the best yet. It was also the last, as a couple of third-period mistakes led to a 3-2 loss Thursday at Chizhovka Arena and Canadas elimination from the tournament. "I use a phrase all the time that every play counts," Tippett said. "Every play counts and unfortunately we had a couple go against us." The play that counted the most for Canada was a turnover by defenceman Tyler Myers, who tried to pass it off the wall to Kyle Turris. Jori Lehtera got in the way, setting up Iiro Pakarinen for the game-winner with just 3:08 left. A downtrodden Myers said everyone saw what happened and didnt feel he needed to explain. Turris, who scored Canadas first goal, took the blame. "I was yelling at him, Im open in the middle, Im open in the middle, and when he passed to the middle, the guy stepped in between," Turris said. "It was my fault. I was yelling at him to move it to me, and the guy stepped in the way and went the other way. I should have had it." It was a game that Canada felt it should have had. Holding a 2-1 lead after two periods on goals by Turris and Mark Scheifele, the Canadians were in control despite a strong game from Finnish goaltender Pekka Rinne. One bad bounce 28 seconds into the third changed everything. Finlands Juuso Hietanen let a slapshot fly that hit Ben Scrivenss right arm, the back of his blocker, and then the shaft of his stick before trickling over the goal-line. "Its a terrible goal to give up," said Scrivens, who stopped 23 of the 26 shots he faced. "Its deflating for the team. Thats squarely on me. Its really tough to swallow right now." This was the fifth straight year Canada lost in the quarter-finals at this tournament. Making it more difficult to accept was that this squad of NHL third-liners and potential stars of the future bounced back perfectly from an opening shootout loss to France. Six straight victories followed. The Finland game easily could have been one, too. "We still had our shifts in their end, our chances," captain Kevin Bieksa said. "We had a couple breakdowns. We knew going into this game that the Finns were a team that would sit back and capitalize on our mistakes, and they made us pay tonight." Tippett addressed his players after the loss but couldnt offer much in the way of an uplifting sentiment. "Its a tough situation for everybody," Tippett said. "Its not the result you want. We came here to win, we didnt come here to lose in the quarter-ffinals. Air Max 180 Canada. Theres not much to say. We didnt accomplish what we wanted to accomplish." All because of a few bad breaks. Finlands first goal 6:06 in, which came on the power play with Myers in the box for roughing, happened after an attempted point shot deflected off penalty-killer Joel Wards stick and right to Olli Palola for his third of the tournament. That didnt deflate Canada, which kept putting pucks on Rinne, who finished with 36 saves on 38 shots. The attempts came from everywhere and almost everyone, as 17 of 20 skaters had at least one on net. "I thought we played some really good hockey throughout the whole game," Myers said. "I think we were right there. It was our game to lose. Its never a good feeling to have it happen like that." One problem was going 0-for-5 on the power play. Had Canada buried a couple of those chances, like Brayden Schenns shot very early that hit the crossbar, it would have been a very different game. Canadas players and Tippett were quick to credit the Finns, who played their brand of hockey well and pounced on mistakes. "We worked extremely hard (for) 60 minutes," Hietanen said. "We knew that we were going to get our chances and now we scored a couple goals." Finland coach Erkka Westerlund was proud of how his team responded and came back from the 2-1 deficit. "In (the) third period we showed the mental strength," Westerlund said. "We call it in Finland sisu." The third period was Canadas weakest of the game. "Its frustrating. I thought we had a great first two periods, we were outshooting them badly, had great opportunities," Turris said. "If we played the way we did in the first two to finish the game, I think we would have come out with a better outcome." Instead, Scrivens lamented Finlands goaltending being better than his and not holding up his end of the bargain to teammates. And Myers was left with the same feelings he had much of this NHL season with the Buffalo Sabres. "Its never fun losing," Myers said. "I did too much of that this year." This wasnt a loss that had Canadas players wondering about their overall play. But that was no consolation. "Its just the way it is," Tippett said. "We played a good game tonight. Unfortunately, we lost." Notes: Alex Burrows returned to Canadas lineup after missing the final two preliminary-round games with a leg injury. Burrows was the 13th forward and played just 4:11 with no shifts in the third period. ... Finlands roster features just three NHL players: Rinne, Olli Jokinen of the Winnipeg Jets and Erik Haula of the Minnesota Wild. ' ' '