Calgary Surge Sign Canadian Justin Jackson

CALGARY, AB – The Calgary Surge have signed six-foot-seven forward Justin Jackson from Scarborough, ON for their 2023 inaugural season, the team announced Tuesday. 

Jackson most recently played for the London Lightning of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC) and the Long Island Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) G-League. He spent the 2021-22 season playing for the Long Island Nets, averaging 8.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 20.1 minutes in 14 games.

“Justin Jackson is a super talent. He is a ‘does it all’ type of player who can play every position on the floor. His ability to shoot the ball with range and stretch the floor will open space for other players to operate comfortably. With his experience playing at a high level, he will naturally be a leader for some of our younger players,” said Surge General Manager, Shane James. 

The Scarborough local spent two seasons of his National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) career with the University of Maryland Terrapins where he averaged 10.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.9 steals, and 28.2 minutes in 44 games played. Following his two last seasons with the University of Maryland, he was selected in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft, 43rd overall by the Denver Nuggets.

“I am super excited to get to Calgary and get to work! We’ve got a great group of guys and we are ready to do something special for the city!” said Jackson. 

Jackson was a four-star recruit out of Hill Academy in Caledon, Ontario. Justin also boasts international experience and represented Canada at the U17 and U19 World Cup in 2012 and 2015. 

About the Calgary Surge 

The Calgary franchise originated as the Guelph Nighthawks in 2018, one of the six founding members of the CEBL. The organization was relocated from the league’s smallest market to Calgary in August 2022 as part of the growing league's business strategy to have teams in Canada’s largest metropolitan areas. Chairman Usman Tahir Jutt and Vice-Chairman and President Jason Ribeiro saw an opportunity to bridge Calgary’s diverse communities together through sport and entertainment and to create a sense of belonging. For more information, visit www.calgarysurge.ca.

About the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) 

A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 71 percent of its roster being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, top NCAA programs, and USPORTS. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps during October. The CEBL season runs from May to August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.