Brady Heslip, a graduate of Nelson High School and Baylor University, went on to a professional
basketball career that included consideration from NBA teams, success in the European
basketball league, and ten years with Canada’s National basketball team. Brady may be one of
the most accomplished basketball players to ever come out of Burlington.

Thought by many as one of the best shooters in the world outside the NBA, Brady’s talent came
by the way of good genetics and a strong work ethic which led him to fulfill his basketball
dreams. Brady’s dad, Tom, was a high school standout at T. A Blakelock High School before
putting together an All-Canadian career at the University of Guelph. Brady’s mom Jody is the
sister of Canadian basketball legend and NBA coach, Jay Triano.

Brady’s path to the Canadian National basketball team and a professional career is inspiring for
any up and coming young player. He had a brilliant high school career at Nelson, and was
named a three-time Halton All Star. Brady averaged 28 points a game in his senior year.
After finishing High School, Brady originally committed to the University of Guelph.

“It was a romantic ideal that I always wanted to follow in dad’s footsteps and wear #4 for the
Gryphons, but it was also a reality that no one in the NCAA was interested in me,” Brady said in
a recent interview.

In the summer of 2009, Brady went on an AAU circuit and it proved to be fruitful as many NCAA
teams started to notice the range and accuracy of Brady’s phenomenal shooting. He eventually
signed with Boston College and spent one season with the Eagles as a redshirt before
transferring to Baylor University.

Brady gained success at Baylor but he wasn’t just a star on the court, scholastically he earned
Academic Big 12 first team, the Dean’s list, and the Big 12 Commissioner’s honor roll.
Brady’s decision to go to Baylor and challenge the highly competitive Big 12 conference was a
decision that would put Brady Heslip on the national and NBA radar. In 2012 he helped the
Bears earn the right to the prestigious elite eight NCAA tournament and in 2013 the Bears won
the NIT tournament. In 2014 Baylor had more success, making it to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen,
with Brady being a key shooter that teams couldn’t leave unguarded. Brady developed a
reputation as being one of the premier shooters in the NCAA during his tenure at Baylor. In his
three years at Baylor, Brady averaged 10.2 points per game shooting a remarkable 42% from
the three-point line. There was talk of Brady getting drafted in the NBA but he said, “I didn’t
pass the eye test for what the NBA is looking for in their athletes.”

That didn’t stop NBA teams from taking a closer look.

Brady had tryouts and a NBA summer league stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Chicago
Bulls and the hometown Toronto Raptors. Brady played for G-league teams including the
Raptors 905 team, before taking his talents to Europe playing in Italy, France, Turkey and
Bosnia.

Basketball for Brady ran a parallel with his career on the Canadian Men’s National team. A
commitment to that program sent him around the world, helping Canada win a silver medal at
the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto and qualifying for the 2019 World Cup. The qualifying
process was multi-staged which didn’t allow for the current NBA players to participate. It was
players like Brady Heslip who showed their dedication to the national team program by making
it to every qualifying phase, no matter the location.

In 2019 Brady really showed a lot about who he is as a person.
“I was hoping to not make the national team for the Olympic qualifying tournament because
that would mean that all the NBA guys like Jamal Murray and Shae Gilgeous-Alexander would
be available and there would be no spot for me,” Brady explains, “All I want is for Canada to
win on the world stage and if that means I’m not there then that’s cool.”

Brady recently retired from professional basketball despite having European offers on the table.
He felt he could have played an additional 5 years noting that in basketball there is always room
for a shooter of Brady’s capability. After completing his M.B.A. at Queen's University, his
professional and national basketball career has given him a global perspective for his future in
the business world.

In 2022 the combination of his basketball pedigree and his business acumen landed him a
position as the first General Manager of the Scarborough Shooting Stars of the CEBL (Canadian
Elite Basketball League)

A highly accomplished athlete at the National and Professional levels, the Burlington Sports Hall
of Fame is honoured to induct Brady Heslip in the Athlete Category.