Nav Bhatia
Canadian businessman and superfan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nav Bhatia (born July 9, 1951),[2][3] nicknamed the Raptors Superfan, is a Canadian businessman and superfan of the Toronto Raptors basketball team. He founded and currently runs the Superfan Foundation to help unite people through the love of the sport.
Nav Bhatia | |
|---|---|
Bhatia in 2023 | |
| Born | July 9, 1951 |
| Education | Mechanical engineering[1] |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Known for | Superfan of the Toronto Raptors |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Top 25 Canadian Immigrants Award |
| Website | navbhatiasuperfan |
Bhatia has attended every Toronto Raptors home game since 1995, temporarily ending in 2020 when he could no longer attend home games in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Raptors' temporary relocation to Tampa, Florida. His 26-year 100 percent Toronto home game attendance streak ended on December 10, 2021, when he was forced into isolation following a COVID-19 outbreak at an event he attended.[4] On June 19, 2018, Bhatia was named a recipient of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrants Award.[5]
Early life and career
Bhatia was born in New Delhi and moved to Toronto in 1984 amid anti-Sikh riots in India.[6][7][8] He struggled to find work as a mechanical engineer and decided to work as a car salesman.[9][10] He achieved a record 127 car sales in three months and bought the dealership two years later.[11] Bhatia is the owner of one of the top-selling Hyundai car dealerships in Canada.[12][13]
Toronto Raptors superfan
Bhatia is known for being the Raptors’ biggest fan,[14] having attended every Raptors home game in the franchise's 25-year history from 1995 to 2020,[15] until the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Raptors to temporarily play their 2020–2021 season in Tampa, Florida. His 26-year 100 per cent Toronto home game attendance streak finally ended on December 10, 2021, when he was forced into isolation due to an outbreak of COVID-19 at Masai Ujiri's Giants of Africa Gala, which he attended.[16]
After the Toronto Raptors won the NBA Championship during the 2018–2019 season, he became the first fan to receive an official NBA Championship ring.[17]
In 2020, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced that Bhatia would be one of the first fans memorialized in its new superfan gallery for their 2020 induction class.[18] He was officially honoured by the Hall of Fame on May 15, 2021, as part of their ceremonial induction weekend.[19]
In 2021, Bhatia was announced as the subject of both Superfan: The Nav Bhatia Story, a CBC Television documentary film which aired on December 3, 2021,[20] and Superfan, an upcoming Hollywood studio biopic slated to star Kal Penn as Bhatia.[21]
In 2023, the city of Mississauga awarded Bhatia the Key to the City.[22]
In 2025, Humber Polytechnic awarded Bhatia with an honorary degree.[23]
Bhatia is frequently invited to talk about basketball in the media.[24][25]