River Lions Sign CEBL Veteran Shaquille Keith
St. Catharines, ON – The Niagara River Lions announced today the signing of 6’6 forward, Shaquille (Shaq) Keith presented by YOUR Legal Services. The 29-year-old from Toronto, Ontario will join the team for the 2023 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) campaign, marking his fifth season in the league.
“Shaq has a unique combination of size, skill, power and charisma that has seen him make an impact on every team he has been on the CEBL,” said Head Coach and General Manager, Victor Raso. “He brings toughness and instincts that you cannot teach, and we expect Shaq to mesh his talents into our program and provide a boost on our hunt for a CEBL championship.”
Keith boasts plenty of CEBL experience, having played for five different teams in the past four seasons. The veteran forward started the inaugural 2019 season with the Hamilton Honey Badgers and moved on to win a championship with the Saskatchewan Rattlers, averaging 15.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals in 8 games.
During the 2020 CEBL Summer Series, Keith joined the Ottawa Blackjacks where he averaged 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists, helping the Blackjacks reach the semi-finals. Keith then returned to the league for a third straight year with the Fraser Valley Bandits where he continued to show consistency averaging 12 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists.
Keith then headed east and signed with the Newfoundland Growlers where put up per game averages of 15.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
While Keith has spent most of his professional career in Canada, he brings experience having played in the Dominican Republic, Taiwan, Peru, Hungary, Finland, and Lithuania.
“I’m very excited to be part of the Niagara River Lions family,” said Keith. “There has been a great foundation built here over the years and from the organization to the fans, I believe that together we can build something very special. By the end of the journey, we will hold up a championship for the world to see.”
Keith becomes the seventh player added to the River Lions roster ahead of the 2023 season set tip-off for the team on May 26th when they visit the Montreal Alliance.
The Niagara River Lions are one of the original six teams of the CEBL. Playing out of Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines, the River Lions represent the twelve municipalities of the Niagara Region while living up to the River Lions moniker of pride and strength of community. Season tickets, voucher packs and group tickets are on sale now. Visit www.riverlions.ca/tickets for more information.