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Negus Webster-Chan The “Gym Rat”

Published by Jason Gairey on June 21, 2010

Negus Webster-Chan The Definition of a gym rat is someone who’s addicted to a ball, a rim and lives in the gym.

To have a nickname like that means that for every minute spent in the game there are countless hours spent working on every aspect of basketball on the practice court.

Negus Webster-Chan, is a kid who fits this definition. If you want to find him, Monday to Sunday, he’ll be in a gym, somewhere in the city, doing what he does best, ball.

His name has been buzzing throughout the GTA from a young age. And there probably isn’t a basketball gymnasium in the city of Toronto, that Webster-Chan hasn’t graced his presence in with his silky smooth game.

A game that is very polished and poised, and sometimes gives you the impression that it’s almost effortless, however, it’s best not to let him catch you sleeping though, because he can rise up and finish strong with a slam as good as anyone.
The athletic and court savvy 6-foot-7 point-forward hails from the Scarborough, Ontario where he grew up playing many sports and excelling at everyone of them. From hoops to track and field, Webster-Chan has always been active and the fact that he was good at practically everything he played has been beneficial in his basketball development.

His involvement early in the Scarborough Blues OBA program was the just the beginning as he would work relentlessly on his game.

“From I was little I wanted to be the hardest worker on the floor,” says Webster-Chan. “In my opinion; I need to work on everything. I don’t want to be one dimensional.”

His high school career would start at St Mike’s College, where he starred and showed dominance in both JV basketball and track and field.

Having to make that journey from the deep east part of the city however a toll on the young star so Webster-Chan decided that it would be best to stay close to home and turn Pope John Paul II, located in Scarborough, into a contender for the Toronto Catholic District School Board.

The transfer giving neighbouring rival, and Ontario high school powerhouse, Mother Theresa some more competition then it would like.

His involvement as a key component in the ninth and 10th grades Team Ontario squads would give the lanky, versatile player, more gym time and open the door to a new level of play for the youngster.

A doorway that saw him play this summer not just on the Ontario Teams, but also at the AAU level with Team Takeover Canada.

The highlight of the summer was being an intricate component on Canada’s first ever U16 Cadet Team that won Bronze and the future for him now can only get brighter.

“I really love international play period. With the Cadet team it just was so exciting playing for my country wearing ‘Canada’ across my chest,” Webster-Chan said.

The high school season had PJP II, high up on everyone’s top team in the province. With a young talented roster playing their first year senior, and Webster-Chan leading the way, things continued looking up.

Webster-Chan Averaging 22 points, seven assists and 10 rebounds per game, his talent was unquestionable. The season, however, fell short of expectations and would end very dismally. Not one to keep his head down long, he took the opportunity to focus more on his academics.

His involvement in Canada Basketball’s CP Program, and continued summer AAU play would eventually get the attention of NCAA schools.

“I love playing AAU and getting to showcase my talent in the U.S.,” Webster-Chan said. “It’s like one big family when we go down there with my Bounce teammates. We get to go to work.”

Playing in the U.S has always been his thoughts, and getting an opportunity to finish his high school career in the states, was an option that Webster-Chan could not say no to.

He will be taking his talent to Huntington Prep in West Virginia, the same state and cross town rival to Mountain State Academy, where AAU, Cadet Squad teammate and friend 6’7 forward, Anthony Bennett, out of Brampton, Ontario, attends. It has been an option for him for over a year, and now he feels this is the right time.

“They had showed interest in me all year, and I have a good relationship with the coaching staff at Huntington Prep,” Webster-Chan said. “It will give me an environment where I can focus better on my academics and basketball.”

This summer, look forward to him leading the U17 Men’s Cadet Team in Germany at the FIBA U17 World Championships and some AAU play if permitted. NCAA schools also have their eye on this gem with Syracuse, Baylor, UNLV, USC, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Iowa State and Washington as some of many who have expressed interest.

It is thanks to all the hard work, the gyms around the world that Webster-Chan has stepped into that has, no doubt, earned him the nickname ‘Gym Rat.’

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