Vancouver Bandits Re-Sign Team MVP Nick Ward for the 2024 CEBL Season
Ward is currently starring for the Metropolitans 92 in France’s LNB Pro A, one of the top professional leagues around the globe and the former home of NBA phenom Victor Wembanyama
LANGLEY, B.C., February 14, 2024 – The Vancouver Bandits announced Wednesday that the club has re-signed its 2023 “Team MVP” and fan favourite, Nick Ward.
The 2024 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season will be Ward’s second consecutive season with the Bandits.
Following his first year with the Bandits last summer, Ward has brought his talents to three clubs, suiting up for Sigal Prishtina in Kosovo and BC Gargzdai in Lithuania before later signing with Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 in the LNB Pro A French League.
Additional stops in his decorated international career include NBA Summer League (Atlanta Hawks, 2019), NBA G League (College Park Skyhawks, 2019-20), as well as clubs in Bahrain, Spain and Turkey.
Fans of the international basketball season will recognize Metropolitans 92 as the former club of current NBA rookie sensation and 2023 NBA first overall draft selection, Victor Wembanyama, who hails from France.
A 6-foot-9 forward from Gahanna, Ohio, Ward averaged a team-high 18.5 points and 7.9 rebounds (second on the team) through 19 regular season games with the Bandits last summer. Among CEBL leaders, Ward’s field goal percentage and offensive rebounding prowess ranked him first and fourth among the league’s top players.
In recognition of his stellar 2023 campaign, the Bandits named Ward the club’s “Team MVP” and “Offensive Player of the Year'' as part of the organization’s annual team awards proceedings.
"I am excited to return to Vancouver this summer to run it back with the Bandits family. We are building something special on the court and in the community. I can't wait to pick up where we left off in our quest to win a CEBL championship," Ward said.
Season tickets as well as flex packs are currently on sale for the Bandits’ sixth CEBL campaign and are available for purchase at this link. Single game tickets are expected to go on sale later this spring.
2024 will be Ward’s third season in the CEBL after previously playing for the Ottawa BlackJacks in 2021, where he was named a member of the All-CEBL First Team after leading the team in both points (17.3) and rebounds (9.1) per game.
During three seasons of NCAA Division I basketball at Michigan State University from 2016-19, Ward averaged 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game on 60.5 per cent shooting from field goal range. Ward’s field goal percentage ranks him third all-time among Big Ten Conference men’s basketball players. In 2018-19, he was named an All-Big Ten third-team selection and led the Spartans to an NCAA Tournament Final Four appearance.
“Nick is an extremely unique player and a great guy to be around and work with. He was one of the most efficient players in our league and consistently forced other teams to adjust their match-ups and game plans to deal with him. He draws double teams and produces at a high level,” said Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius.
“Nick let me push and challenge him. Because of his positive attitude, he consistently improved as the season went on.”
Fans will get their first opportunity to watch Ward and the Bandits on Thursday, May 23 at 7 p.m. PT when Vancouver opens its sixth CEBL season at home when the Montréal Alliance visit Langley Events Centre.
Vancouver will play a total of 10 regular season home games in 2024 between Thursday, May 23 and Thursday, July 18. The Bandits wrap up regular season action on the road against Montréal on Sunday, July 28 at 1 p.m. PT.
All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on TSN+, as well as the CEBL’s OTT platform,
CEBL+, and on CEBL Mobile, the official app of the CEBL (available on Android and iOS devices).
Individuals interested in learning more about tickets for the Vancouver Bandits’ upcoming 2024 season are kindly asked to call (604) 455-8881 or email
[email protected]. A complete regular season schedule can be found by
clicking here.
More information is available at
thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on
Instagram and
TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on
Facebook and
Twitter.
About the Vancouver Bandits:
The Vancouver Bandits are British Columbia’s professional basketball team. As the westernmost club
in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the Bandits offer an entertainment experience that
combines a fast-paced game day atmosphere with a presentation of some of Canada’s top
professional athletes within a world-class venue at Langley Events Centre (LEC).
About the 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 73% of its 2023 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Fourteen players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August. More information about the CEBL is available at
CEBL.ca and @cebleague on
Instagram,
Twitter,
TikTok,
LinkedIn,
Facebook
&
YouTube.
