Indochino CEO Drew Green’s new role with CEBL promises to provide a snug fit
Award-winning Canadian entrepreneur becomes co-owner of the league, with the goal of growing the business of basketball in Canada
Drew Green’s basketball roots run deep.
Green, the CEO of Indochino, played high-school hoops against the likes of Rowan Barrett, starred on the York University squad and went on to ply his trade professionally in Australia and Singapore.
Now, his two sons are forging their own careers in the sport — and Green is right there with them.
On Thursday, the CEBL announced that the accomplished executive was coming aboard as its first-ever Chair of the Board of Governors and co-owner.
“We are a basketball family, right? We've been in the gym, my sons and I, thousands and thousands of hours. We have an NBA half court literally in our front yard that we built during COVID. And so this is going to be a lot of fun,” he said.
It’s a partnership that fits as snugly as a well-tailored suit.
The Scarborough, Ont., native said that watching his sons find their love for basketball in recent years reignited his own affinity for the sport.
“The two areas of passion in my life are basketball and business. And they interplay really well with this role,” Green said.
Throughout the many business ventures, Green said his first job was as a father to Liam and Aidan and as a husband to his wife, Andrea Dayco.
While his sons are triple-citizens of Canada, the U.S. and the Philippines, Green has made it a point to raise them with Canadian values — and to push them toward the national basketball culture.
“I've seen the evolution of basketball in this country firsthand. When I played in high school, I think we had one, maybe two people that ever played in the NBA. The ability to play in the U.S. and go to and play (NCAA) Division One basketball didn't really exist.
“Rowan was one of that first cohorts that played, and that was amazing, but it was so rare.”
Now, there are nearly 200 Canadians playing in college basketball’s top division.
Among those players is Liam, who recently accepted a five-year scholarship at Florida Atlantic University. Aidan plays for the renowned prep school Montverde Academy, which produced the likes of current Raptors RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes.
Liam heads to FAU with some CEBL background, having practised with Vancouver Bandits head coach Kyle Julius.
Green said the CEBL has quickly become a foundational piece of the Canadian basketball landscape through its partnership with U Sports, its reach to all corners of the country and its affordability.
“I think there's just an amazing group of people involved in the league that are really passionate about growing the sport, growing the business (and) providing a really, really incredible experience to customers.
“You've got some of the best athletes in Canada and the world playing in the games. … The product continues to get better and better every year,” he said.
Besides his impressive basketball resumé, Green has enjoyed a long, successful career in business. He took over as CEO of Indochino, the men’s formal-wear company, 10 years ago and proceeded to launch its retail business, raise over $100 million in strategic capital commitments and guide the brand through the pandemic.
Prior to Indochino, Green founded Canada’s first multi-merchant marketplace (now owned by Emerge Commerce) and was an executive at DoubleClick (acquired by Google) and Shop.com.
At the CEBL, Green will help introduce the league to potential partners and investors while assisting the league and team owners on business matters.
CEBL commissioner Mike Morreale called the partnership with Green “an incredible win.”
“Drew’s business success speaks for itself and his passion for the game mimics all involved in making the CEBL a homegrown and global success. His personal financial investment into the league demonstrates his strong belief of our bright future and recognizes the foundation that has been built during our formative years,” Morreale said.
“Personally, I look forward to getting right to work with Drew on the next stage of the CEBL and the growth of our game.”
Green said the CEBL is on a “great trajectory,” but projected plenty of growth potential too.
“Whether that's sponsors or investors or other types of strategic partners that really align with growing the game of basketball and growing the business of basketball in Canada, I think there's lots and lots of opportunities,” he said.
“When you try to do something on your own in life, it often takes you a lot longer than it should at the core of it. And so that's why partnerships have always been a core ethos of mine to build businesses.”
Green also remained connected to sports through business as Indochino established partnerships throughout the four major North American sports leagues.
There was one NBA draft, Green said, in which half of the first round wore Indochino — though the company cannot take credit for Gradey Dick’s infamously bedazzled red suit.
“We had a deal to provide him with suits and actually suited him up,” Green recalled, “and then I saw the suit and I was like, what the, how did that happen? That was not an Indochino. So he went off the reservation and did his own thing, but good on him. It got a lot of hits.”
Like Dick, CEBL players have quickly become known for their personal branding and tunnel fits.
Now, with a former hooper in Green on board, the CEBL brand itself is ready to truly take off.
“I just think the CEBL will play a really critical, critical role in the evolution of the game over these next couple decades,” Green said, “and inspire a whole new generation of young athletes to go after their dreams.”
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