Kevin Veinot of Port Williams was a member of that 1987 team, and in an interesting coincidence, his son Keevan was part of the 2015 team.
“We’ve both been part of basketball teams that won gold for Nova Scotia, and those are the only two gold medals Nova Scotia has won,” Kevin Veinot said Aug. 13. “It’s a pretty neat accomplishment.”
In 1987, Kevin was 20 years old and in his third year at Acadia. “It was different back then in that it was an U-21 tournament, and it was held in the winter (at that time, basketball was played as part of the Canada Winter Games).”
Kevin was “one of the older players on the team,” and a regular starter.
Keevan, on the other hand, will not turn 17 until November, making him one of the younger players on this year’s provincial U-17 team. “It was my age group, I tried out and made the team,” he said. “We were a great group, a lot of good players.”
According to Kevin Veinot, who coaches his son on the D-1 boys’ team at Horton, Keevan’s role on the provincial team “was varied. Some tournaments, he got to play a lot. Others, like this last one, he didn’t get to play much at all. It’s all the coaches’ decision, and what they believe will work the best.”
At the same time, that gave Keevan one of the best seats in the house when he wasn’t playing. “It felt good,” he said of the tournament – “really exciting.”
As a member of the only previous Nova Scotia gold medalists, Kevin was in a unique position this time around. “There was great fan support,” he said. “The place was jammed, and everybody cheering for Nova Scotia.
“As a spectator, sitting there after 28 years, it brought back real memories for me. We played Quebec in our final, after beating Ontario in the semifinals. The final was at the BEC gym (in New Waterford), where they still play the Coal Bowl,” he said.
“It was almost surreal to be there this time and be able to experience it from the stands. It was exciting to think I was part of a history-making team, and then be sitting there watching my son do the same thing.”
Asked to reveal the key to victory over Ontario in the final (Nova Scotia won 116-109 in overtime), Keevan said, “we just tried to shut down R.J. (Barrett, Ontario’s best player), and we played really well offensively.”
Nate Darling, a Lower Sackville native who plays in the U.S., took up the offensive slack with 50 points. Alex Carson also played a strong tournament.
Both coaches shortened their benches in the final, and Keevan, who hadn’t played much up to that point, ended up being one of the casualties.
“I had an experience like that when I was his age, where I ended up not playing much. I always felt it made me a better player,” Kevin said.
After low-scoring victories over Newfoundland and Labrador and British Columbia, the final “was a real slugfest,” with a number of lead changes down the stretch, then overtime. “It was the highlight of the tournament for me,” Keevan said.
Given his unique perspective, Kevin was “really proud” of the Nova Scotia players. “Every year, every team has goals of winning. Most end up falling short, but these guys succeeded.”
As a coach, he said the Nova Scotia coaches “did a great job of making it a team effort and a team victory. All 13 players were equally important.”
It also didn’t escape Kevin that both Nova Scotia gold medals, in 1987 and in 2015, “were won here in Nova Scotia.” And while there are a lot of differences between the two teams, “there are a lot of similarities as well.”
Kevin Veinot of Port Williams was a member of that 1987 team, and in an interesting coincidence, his son Keevan was part of the 2015 team.
“We’ve both been part of basketball teams that won gold for Nova Scotia, and those are the only two gold medals Nova Scotia has won,” Kevin Veinot said Aug. 13. “It’s a pretty neat accomplishment.”
In 1987, Kevin was 20 years old and in his third year at Acadia. “It was different back then in that it was an U-21 tournament, and it was held in the winter (at that time, basketball was played as part of the Canada Winter Games).”
Kevin was “one of the older players on the team,” and a regular starter.
Keevan, on the other hand, will not turn 17 until November, making him one of the younger players on this year’s provincial U-17 team. “It was my age group, I tried out and made the team,” he said. “We were a great group, a lot of good players.”
According to Kevin Veinot, who coaches his son on the D-1 boys’ team at Horton, Keevan’s role on the provincial team “was varied. Some tournaments, he got to play a lot. Others, like this last one, he didn’t get to play much at all. It’s all the coaches’ decision, and what they believe will work the best.”
At the same time, that gave Keevan one of the best seats in the house when he wasn’t playing. “It felt good,” he said of the tournament – “really exciting.”
As a member of the only previous Nova Scotia gold medalists, Kevin was in a unique position this time around. “There was great fan support,” he said. “The place was jammed, and everybody cheering for Nova Scotia.
“As a spectator, sitting there after 28 years, it brought back real memories for me. We played Quebec in our final, after beating Ontario in the semifinals. The final was at the BEC gym (in New Waterford), where they still play the Coal Bowl,” he said.
“It was almost surreal to be there this time and be able to experience it from the stands. It was exciting to think I was part of a history-making team, and then be sitting there watching my son do the same thing.”
Asked to reveal the key to victory over Ontario in the final (Nova Scotia won 116-109 in overtime), Keevan said, “we just tried to shut down R.J. (Barrett, Ontario’s best player), and we played really well offensively.”
Nate Darling, a Lower Sackville native who plays in the U.S., took up the offensive slack with 50 points. Alex Carson also played a strong tournament.
Both coaches shortened their benches in the final, and Keevan, who hadn’t played much up to that point, ended up being one of the casualties.
“I had an experience like that when I was his age, where I ended up not playing much. I always felt it made me a better player,” Kevin said.
After low-scoring victories over Newfoundland and Labrador and British Columbia, the final “was a real slugfest,” with a number of lead changes down the stretch, then overtime. “It was the highlight of the tournament for me,” Keevan said.
Given his unique perspective, Kevin was “really proud” of the Nova Scotia players. “Every year, every team has goals of winning. Most end up falling short, but these guys succeeded.”
As a coach, he said the Nova Scotia coaches “did a great job of making it a team effort and a team victory. All 13 players were equally important.”
It also didn’t escape Kevin that both Nova Scotia gold medals, in 1987 and in 2015, “were won here in Nova Scotia.” And while there are a lot of differences between the two teams, “there are a lot of similarities as well.”