This May, the CEBL kicked off its highly anticipated sixth season. The league has continued to grow over the years, with a growing fanbase and increasing notoriety across North America. It has quickly become one of the most popular summer leagues for professional basketball. With 75% of its roster being Canadian and games ending on a target score (a feature quickly loved by everyone), the CEBL has cemented its mark in Canadian basketball.
The ten teams had their sights set on making it to Championship weekend (held in Montreal this year) and taking home the CEBL title, while the defending champs, the Scarborough Shooting Stars, aimed to bring another championship home. Fans across Canada were excited to have their teams back and to be able to show up and show out for them once again.
With the CEBL boasting such a high level of talent—from the players to the coaches and staff—there was never a dull moment. From close games in target time, roster changes, player milestones, power rankings, and awards, to players temporarily leaving their teams to get their shot in the NBA Summer League and much more, the season once again lived up to all expectations.
Some of the milestones for this season included the Brampton Honey Badgers, with it being Coach Sheldon Cassimy’s first year as head coach. The Honey Badgers started off ranked last in the power rankings, which they used as motivation to win their first two home games.
Despite this, the Honey Badgers had a season of ups and downs, finding themselves fighting to stay on the winning side. Their fans never gave up on them, and their will to win was visible in the fight they put up every game. Ultimately, they ended with a 6-14 record, eliminating them from a chance at Championship Weekend.
The Montreal Alliance had the advantage of being the host team this year, with Championship Weekend taking place in Montreal. Their star player, Ahmed Hill, returned, which made the fans and the city happy. Hill holds the record of being the first CEBL player to reach 1,000 regular-season points. This season, he achieved another milestone by reaching two hundred career three-pointers.
The Winnipeg Sea Bears had some changes of their own, shocking the CEBL community when they released their star player and the league’s reigning Most Valuable Player, Teddy Allen, allegedly due to behavioral issues that caused the team “unrest.”
The Sea Bears then went on to sign guard Justin Wright-Foreman, who led the league last season with 29.2 points while playing for the Saskatchewan Rattlers and who was also next in line for MVP behind Teddy Allen. In another shocking twist, the Saskatchewan Rattlers went on to sign Teddy Allen, bringing him back mid-season.
The Niagara River Lions maintained their strength throughout the entire season, with a roster that included players like Jahvon Blair, also known to the basketball world as “Juggy,” Khalil Ahmad, who proved to be a clutch player, and Aaryn Rai. They continued to demonstrate why they were the number one seed in the East. The Vancouver Bandits, featuring Taze Moore, Duane Notice, and Mitchell Creek, were equally strong, maintaining the number one seed in the West. Both teams proved to be the ones to beat.
The defending champs, the Scarborough Shooting Stars, also came back this season with a strong roster of their own, which included Kadre Gray, Cat Barber, Devoe Joseph (brother of NBA star Cory Joseph), and Donovan Williams, to name a few. The team also had their ring ceremony this season, with the hanging of the championship banner and the team receiving their well-deserved rings.
They came into this season proving why they were the champs, continuing to be a challenging team to beat. With a roster as talented as they had, any lineup could be used. In one game, Cat Barber earned a CEBL record when he scored 24 straight points, including the game-winner, to claim a 103-92 win over the Edmonton Stingers.
In the end, the Brampton Honey Badgers (6-14) and the Saskatchewan Rattlers (6-14) were eliminated in the regular season. The Montreal Alliance (6-14) also struggled for the majority of the season to stay on the winning side, but had an automatic pass to Championship Weekend as the host team.
For the West Play-In game, the Calgary Surge defeated the Winnipeg Sea Bears 84-82. They then went on to defeat the Edmonton Stingers 78-69 but were later eliminated by the Vancouver Bandits 89-87. In the East, the Ottawa BlackJacks eliminated the defending champions, the Scarborough Shooting Stars, with a 90-73 win. They were later eliminated by the Niagara River Lions 94-91.
Championship Weekend was one for the books, with Montreal known for its liveliness and upbeat atmosphere, making it the perfect city to host such an event. The Alliance fanbase, renowned as one of the most devoted in the league, was thrilled to cheer on their team, which made its first-ever championship appearance. Championship Weekend included the CEBL awards, a conference finals doubleheader, the CW24 Festival, and a halftime show by multi-platinum artist Fefe Dobson.
Despite the Alliance having strong players like Ahmed Hill, Chris Smith, and Alain Louis, the Alliance was defeated by Niagara in a close battle, where they left it all on the floor. Tied at 75 in target time, the city of Montreal was so close to a championship game at home, when Mr. Clutch himself, Kahlil Ahmad, scored a three-pointer, ultimately leading the River Lions to a 78-75 win.
In the conference finals, the two teams that remained on top all season from the West and the East battled it out, with Vancouver seeming to have the game under control and Niagara struggling to get their shots, as the team was missing one of their top scorers, Jahvon Blair, who missed the game due to overseas obligations. In the end, after missing a much-needed free throw, it was none other than Khalil Ahmad who scored the winning basket, giving Niagara the 97-95 win over Vancouver and crowning the River Lions the 2024 CEBL champions, with Khalil being named the well-deserved MVP.
With the CEBL wrapping up another successful season, it has shown how far the league has come as well as how much potential it still has to grow. With box office names such as Cat Barber, Ahmed Hill, Justin Wright-Foreman, and Jahvon Blair, just to name a few, playing in the CEBL, as well as NBA players showing up courtside to support the games this season, it proves the impact the league has had on Canadian basketball and the great platform it has given players to showcase their skills over the summer.
It was announced that the CEBL will expand its regular season games to a 24-game format next season, providing fans and players with more basketball, leaving us all anticipating what next season has to offer.
