Mike Morreale is the vision and leader behind the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), Canada’s largest professional sports league. The CEBL highlights high-level basketball in Canada, playing just one tier below the NBA, creating an array of opportunities for Canadians with hometown pride felt at every game.
Although this league has become very successful and respected, Mike is no stranger to success and accomplishments. He played as a receiver for twelve seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Toronto Argonauts, earning many accolades, including the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian Award in 1998. I was able to catch up with Mike to discuss the CEBL’s upcoming seventh season, which starts on Sunday, May 11, 2025.
Tell us about the new 24-game format this upcoming season?
What we’ve learned over the last several years is that people want more basketball, and we’re excited to actually go back in time a little bit, and go back to how we started in 2019 with the length of the season expanding about three weeks, and then provide more opportunities for our local markets to host games. Those are big opportunities for us to get in front of the fans, in front of the communities, and get more games, which leads to the players being paid more, and fans getting to see more basketball. It’s a win-win situation for everybody.
After starting in 2019 with an expanded season, not 24 games, but length-wise, COVID hit, and we kind of reverted, and then built ourselves back up. We’re at the point in our business cycle where we are excited about the expansion
For those who have never been to a CEBL game, how would you describe it and why would you encourage them to come out to a game?
I would say, without a doubt, that anyone who attends a CEBL game is always impressed with the quality of play on the court, and the entertainment value off the court and everything that surrounds the game. It’s kind of a “come for the party, stay for the game” type of atmosphere, full DJ throughout, and an incredibly talented NBA-level quality of players – the majority of which are Canadian, which is always a major importance to what we do, and high-level entertainment off the court with the DJ, target score ending, and everything in between.
It’s all wrapped up in a two-hour window. In this day and age where people’s attention span gets less and less, it’s an incredible way to start your day or finish your day, to be with like-minded people who are there for an incredible entertaining two-hour time period.
What are your thoughts on the CEBL fanbase?
The CEBL fanbase is solid and strong. It’s so different market to market. In Scarborough it’s a different vibe than what you’ll get in Winnipeg, or what you’ll get in Saskatchewan, but it’s all personal, all very important. The teams and markets they play on reflect the life and communities themselves which is really cool.
There are tons of fans of the Toronto Raptors, but the Raptors are still a Toronto-based team; they don’t necessarily resonate the same in Saskatchewan, Edmonton, Vancouver, etc. Not that they don’t have fans in those cities, but it’s not local—they can’t feel it, and can’t touch it. This is bringing that NBA-style atmosphere to a market that they can call their own.
I know that there was CEBL Clash, would you ever consider doing more things like that, such as a three-point competition, dunk contest, etc.?
Yes, that is certainly on the agenda. You won’t see it this year, but as we continue to grow and look for different ways to showcase our athletes—whether it’s an all-star-type event in-season or pre-season—we know that we have some incredibly talented players who we want to showcase their skills. They love what they do, and fans out there would love to see a different side of it, so we’re always looking for different opportunities that are like this to be able to showcase our brand, the team brands, and for the players to showcase themselves.
What is one thing that you are looking forward to this season?
Every year, we grow expeditiously, and we continue to organically grow. We are very fundamentally sound in terms of why the CEBL exists, and the passion of the community and the players that we provide, seeing the players that can go through the CEBL and then on to get NBA contracts. I love seeing continuations of that and of improving talent, as well as returning talent—a nice mix between both of them, so there’s the connection of the team year after year, but also new stars who get to be discovered.
I also love traveling the country and getting to see different fans and different ways to approach the game. It’s incredible to think that seven or eight years ago, this did not exist. There was no CEBL, or no Canadian basketball play in front of thousands of people across the different markets. It’s really cool to be able to see it come to life right in front of you.
Now more than ever, people are turning to Canadian-owned businesses and products. How important do you think it is for Canada to have a pro league of it’s own?
Incredibly important. It’s shocking that we did not have one prior, that was a national league, that could support the growth of basketball in all these communities, not just in Ontario, but across all the provinces. We’re proudly Canadian—made for Canadians, by Canadians. But, like good Canadians, we also welcome others to participate and showcase their skills.
I think in this moment of the proudly Canadian, and made-in-Canada solidarity, I think it’s really important to lean on that and to recognize how important this league is not just to the players on the court, but the people in the whole ecosystem of basketball and being proud of the growth of Canadian basketball. We should be proud of the young men and women, boys and girls, all across the board.
How do you feel when you see fans, especially younger fans looking up to the players and coaches as motivation?
It takes me back to myself, when I was a young kid sitting in the stands, watching my favourite football players play, aspiring to be on that filed and be like them. There’s nothing more important than seeing the opportunity in front of you, and that never existed across the country in Canadian basketball until we were able to establish it.
If we are a part of allowing kids to dream, and again, it’s not just boys, it’s boys and girls, men and women – that is hugely important as it can change people’s lives. Opportunities are really what is most important in life. If you can provide them, and people can take advantage of them and use them to their advantage, it’s a special thing.
Do you attend the games? Can fans look forward to seeing you there?
Yes! The first month or so is crazy as I’m trying to hit as many home openers as possible. I can’t always get to the home opener, but I try to get out to the first few home games of every market, and it’s probably what I enjoy the most. The traveling part—it stinks [laughs]—but the ability to be there, to be in those environments, to see the fruits of hard work and labor, to see the smiles on people’s faces, and to witness cool viral moments—it is priceless.
A fan favourite is “Target time” what is one of your favourite parts of the game?
Target time is the most important decision we ever made going back to 2020 and it was a risk because it goes against the grain of the basketball purest. It has created so many memories and countless moments that will live forever. Fans don’t leave the arena, they stay in their seats because you never know what could happen.
The game-winning play that happens at the end of the game, or a comeback that seems impossible. Even the style of play is so much more your “next bucket wins” backyard basketball. It’s not fouling, or going to the three-point line, or the slow down of the game that you see in the NBA, it’s getting to this number, and the first one to do so wins, which is also a cool environment for the players to play under as well. Not always the best for coaches [laughs], but everyone wants to make that memorable shot, or finish and make something happen.
I have to ask you my question that started a debate. When a team loses a game, particularly a big game, such as a playoff game, who do you think gets more of the blame? The players or the coach?
Oh! That’s a good question [laughs]. I think it all comes down to how they lose. If you can pinpoint it to a player who makes an error, then obviously you get exposed as a player. The best answer I can say is, no matter who gets the blame, the pain is felt equally by the player and the coach.
When you lose, you remember that way more than anytime you win. Blame is part of the job—it is what it is. You’re paid to put on a show, to get results and win games, so I think blame is part of being a professional athlete or coach, sometimes it’s not fair, but there’s also times that you might get a lot of love that maybe you don’t deserve either, victories hide a lot of the bad flaws. Being a pro athlete or coach is a cool job, but also a challenging job and that comes with it.
In the current times, where Canadians are proudly supporting local businesses and Canadian products, the CEBL is another platform that wonderfully displays Canadians paving the way and creating a market that was much needed. The CEBL is creating opportunities and giving us yet another thing to be proud of.
Stepping into every CEBL game, you can feel the pride, love, and excitement, with the league growing bigger and better each year. Mike continues to provide his talents, vision, and leadership to guide this league and make it what it is, and with a commissioner like him, the league and the future of Canadian basketball are in great hands.
The seventh season of the CEBL starts on Sunday, May 11, at 6 PM, when the Calgary Surge will take on the Edmonton Stingers at the Edmonton Expo Centre. The season runs from May to August, with championship weekend this year taking place in Winnipeg.
