Teammates lift Vadim Halimov into the air after sinking the winning basket with one second left and smashing two OCAA records in the process. Photo: Brittany Barber/The Dialog
Swoosh.
This is the sound that George Browns’ own Vadim “The Dream” Halimov hears on a daily basis when the basketball leaps from his fingertips and swishes into the net averaging an astounding 30 points per game.
This Valentine’s Day proved to be the sweetest one yet for OCAA all-star Halimov as he surpassed the OCAA all-time scoring record set by Anthony Batchelor, a former Durham College player.
Halimov also broke a record that stood for 40 years for the most points in a single season, formally set by George Brown player Marv Snowden in 1974, racking up 586 points so far this season. Halimov also has 155 free throw points, two away from breaking yet another record set by Centennial College’s Perry Doukas in 1975.
“A team player does whatever it takes to win,” said Halimov who proved it in Friday’s game against Seneca College, his former school, winning the game 95-94 for the Huskies with his final shot with one second left on the clock.
Some may say Halimov is a prodigy while others may say he is a phenomenon. While both may be true, overall he is a leader and an inspiration.
The mentality Halimov possesses on and off the court is outstanding as he maintains a 3.96 Grade Point Average business marketing program while being a strong candidate for the OCAA Player of the Year and Athlete of the Year at George Brown.
The 25 year old, 6’6″ guard has ranks first in field goals, free throws, overall
points scored and points per game in the OCAA’s east division.
“I visualize the game and I envision the shots I’m going to take before the game.” Halimov says when asked how he prepares mentally before playing. “[My record] has changed how other people play me, not how I play.”
The easiest way to spot the Uzbekistan native on the court is by his bright pink shoes and colourful mid-calf socks with a breast cancer ribbon imprinted on the back.
Halimov excelled in soccer until his arrival in Toronto at the age of 15 where he picked up playing basketball to prove his friend who said he couldn’t play basketball wrong,
For the future, Halimov hopes to play professional basketball either overseas in Europe or Asia or may stay to play in the Canadian league.
Reaching his final year of eligibility in the OCAA, Halimov has set new records and raised the standard for points scored in a game, resulting in the Huskies never settling for anything less than the best.
