‘It’s all about the parks’ for Khoury

Raptors 905 coach enjoys time outdoors with his family, especially if there’s good coffee nearby

Eric Khoury, head coach of the Raptors 905, has one of the best origin stories in the GTA sports scene. You might know it: engineer doing his master’s started seeing the connection between his research in fluid dynamics and the zipping about on the basketball court.

Toronto born-and-bred Khoury, a longtime Toronto Raptors fan — “A lot of the reason I stayed in Toronto was I loved going to Raptors games” — started messaging Major League Sports and Entertainment executives from his lab at the University of Toronto, and eventually got a response.

He started as an intern in analytics for the Raptors in 2012 and gradually got into coaching. He’d served as assistant coach to both the Raps and the 905 for years when, in July, he was named to the top job for the GLeague’s 905.

Khoury, 33, brings lots of data and strategy to the job, but not much ego.

“Most of the players and most of the staff know my background. They know I’m not the coolest kid on the block.”

Khoury says his young players could get called up to join the Raptors at any time — it happens frequently with the likes of Ron Harper Jr. and Jeff Dowtin Jr. — so the team focuses on talent development and the same plays the Raptors follow. “We’re trying to get players to a point where they can contribute at the NBA level, as opposed to going all out to win every single game. But the good news is, if you get players playing at an NBA level, you’re going to win in the G League.”

Khoury grew up in North York, spent his young adult years studying at the University of Toronto and living in various parts of downtown. He spent a few years in Leslieville with his wife and first baby, but now he’s got three kids — the youngest is just a newborn — and they’ve settled in Port Credit, in Mississauga. It affords both elbow room, in-laws right next door, plus convenient access to Raptors amenities and the airport.

Indeed, Khoury is on the road a lot these days (he spoke to us from Greensboro, N.C., and was on his way next to Wilmington, Del.). When he’s got a moment, this is where he goes in the city.

What are some of the places you remember from your downtown university years?

The Red Room on Spadina. It had really good pad thai, of all places. And the beer was not expensive at all. Einstein on College; I don’t know if it’s still there. (It’s not.) That was an engineering hangout where we ordered beer and wings.

And from earlier, from your North York childhood?

At Bayview and York Mills there was a plaza, the York Mills Shopping Centre, where my mom would take us every Friday night for ice cream. My dad would always go out and pick up from Piazzetta Trattoria on Yonge Street.

Where did you go during your Leslieville era?

There were so many coffee shops around us. The one I frequented the most was the Purple Penguin Café. We got to know the woman who ran it, June, she was the kindest person ever. I’d go there for breakfast multiple times a week. I’d be there with my laptop and would cut up film and write my postgame reports. I’d always order a coffee and a bagel BELT and a twister.

And these days in Port Credit, where do you hang out?

It’s all about the parks now. Our boys — and I’m sure our newborn daughter will be the same — love all the parks in our area, there’s one after another. We’ve got five or six in rotation. We go to Jack Darling Memorial Park a lot. It’s a big park and we wander through the trails and go to the different playgrounds.

There are a couple of coffee shops we go to that have parks nearby. Back Road Coffee Roasters has awesome coffee, plus there’s a playground right beside it. We don’t eat out a lot these days, but we’ve had a couple of date nights at a restaurant called Hexagon in Oakville. It’s a really nice French restaurant.

Aside from basketball, do you have hobbies that get you out in the city?

I love playing tennis and my wife loves it as well. Pre-kids, we would go out and hit pretty often, but now I’m probably getting out to play with friends more often than my wife. When I’ve got a few hours to spare, that’s where I’ll be, on the tennis court. I play at Mayfair, and the main one we go to is the Lake Shore East location, but I’ll go anywhere I can get a court. My wife joined the Ontario Racquet Club, which is close to us. I hate to pay another initiation fee, but I’ll probably join it too, sooner or later.