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At the NBA House pop-up event in Montreal promoting the league final between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, a former champion expressed enthusiasm about the city one day hosting a franchise in basketball’s highest league. Serge Ibaka, a 2019 champion with the Toronto Raptors, Canada’s only NBA franchise, said at La Nesra in Griffintown on Friday that the second largest market in the country “deserves a team.” “The way things are here, it’s a beautiful city. I feel people love sport in general here,” Ibaka said.
Ibaka, of Congolese-Spanish descent, remains a fan favourite in Toronto and would’ve been one in Montreal as a bilingual player. He said playing in a francophone market during his playing days would have been a great experience. Ibaka played 14 years, from 2009-2023, for five teams. “I’m sure it would be amazing to live and play here,” he said.
By all accounts, incoming head coach Gordie Herbert – the team’s third bench boss in the span of three years – will continue to enforce it and prioritize continuity. It served the British Columbia native well during his stint at the helm of the German National Team, leading them to a gold medal at the 2023 World Cup and a fourth-place finish in Paris. “If guys don’t commit this summer, they’re not in,” said Herbert, who served as an assistant with the Raptors in 2008-09 and has coached around the globe, currently in the Australian National Basketball League. “When I was with Germany, we had six or seven NBA guys and three guys didn’t come, they didn’t want to come. All of sudden they wanted to come [in] Year 2. Sorry. You can’t be successful in anything without commitment, in my opinion.” It’s a strong stance to take with Jamal Murray, the country’s second-best active player and, probably, third-best player ever.
What’s left may very well be the most talented collection of basketball players Canada has ever had to pull from, a group that is clamouring to wear the maple leaf across their chests again. “Don’t ask stupid questions,” one prominent player replied when general manager Rowan Barrett texted to confirm he was on board for this cycle. “Of course, I am.” “The vision I give for us going forward is gold medal at the World Cup, gold at the Olympics,” Herbert said. “I’m talking to the players: are you in or are you out?”
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Josh Lewenberg: To sum up NBAers in for Canada this summer: SGA, NAW, Barrett, Brooks, Dort, Nembhard bros, Mathurin, Olynyk, George, Miller Out this summer but in for this cycle: Edey, Powell Didn’t commit: Murray, Sharpe, Wiggins Committed but not selected: Lawson, Banton, Houstan, Prosper
Mark Cuban would buy back the Mavericks if he could, but he can’t. Instead, he’s invested in the Brampton Honey Badgers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. The size of the stake and how much he paid were not disclosed. Cuban, who still owns a stake of roughly 27% in the Mavericks, tells Front Office Sports via email that Canada is a “powerhouse” when it comes to producing top basketball talent. He says there’s “huge appetite for sports and basketball” in Canada. “I think there is a ton of upside,” he tells FOS. While much of the discussion about global basketball has centered around the rise in European stars like Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Cuban says “Canada is producing more stars than any other country.”
Cuban’s deal to buy into the Honey Badgers doesn’t come out of nowhere. Al Whitley, CEO of the Honey Badgers, previously worked for the Mavericks, including in front office roles, for nearly 22 years. Whitley was hired by Cuban, who says he has also “done business” with the majority owner of the Honey Badgers, Leonard Asper, “for a long time.” One example of that came in 2019, when Cuban sold a majority stake in HDNet LLC, parent of U.S. TV networks AXS TV and HDNet Movies, to Asper’s media company Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Cuban remained an equity partner in the business as part of that deal.
Famed American entrepreneur and TV personality Mark Cuban is joining the ownership group of the Brampton Honey Badgers, adding a high-profile name to the local basketball franchise. Cuban — the former owner of the Dallas Mavericks and a longtime panellist on Shark Tank — is expected to have his role with the team formally announced on May 7. Details about his position have not yet been disclosed.
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Ryan Wolstat: Wol-stat of the day: RJ Barrett and A.J. Lawson are the fifth and sixth Canadians to play for the Raptors in the post-season. Joining Cory Joseph, Chris Boucher, Khem Birch and Dalano Banton.
NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has invested in his hometown of Hamilton, joining the ownership group of TD Coliseum. Oak View Group, the developer behind TD Coliseum, announced the investment Monday; financial terms were not released.
“Becoming part of the ownership group at TD Coliseum is really personal for me,” Gilgeous-Alexander said in a release. “Growing up in Hamilton shaped who I am, so having the opportunity to help build something special in my hometown means everything.” The partnership includes naming the Ares Atrium inside the venue, a tribute to his son. Gilgeous-Alexander has also cited his long-standing connection to music and a desire for the arena to attract major artists and live performances.