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Vancouver Bandits Sign Former Michigan State Star, NBA G League Forward Nick Ward for the 2023 CEBL Season

April 4, 2023

LANGLEY, B.C., April 4, 2023 – The Vancouver Bandits announced Tuesday that the club has signed forward Nick Ward for the club’s upcoming 2023 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season at Langley Events Centre (LEC).


A 6-foot-9 forward from Gahanna, Ohio, Ward is currently playing for Al-Najma in the Bahrain Premier League. Prior to Bahrain, Ward suited up in 36 games in 2021-22 for Coruna in Spain’s LEB Oro where he averaged 13.8 points and 7.1 rebounds on 58.9 per cent shooting from field goal range.


The fast-approaching season will be Ward’s second stint in the CEBL after previously playing for the Ottawa BlackJacks in 2021. Ward’s lone CEBL campaign was a stellar one. He was
named a member of the All-CEBL First Team after leading the BlackJacks in both points (17.3) and rebounds (9.1) per game.


“The Vancouver Bandits are assembling a great roster for this summer and I am excited to help take this group to the next level. I have heard nothing but awesome things about the fanbase and I am ready to get to work,” Ward said. “My message is to keep Jesus first in whatever you do and work hard at all times.”


The former Michigan State Spartan’s career has seen the talented forward play in some of the world’s top leagues; including stops at NBA Summer League (Atlanta Hawks, 2019), NBA G League (College Park Skyhawks, 2019-20), Spain (Coruna, 2021-22) and Turkey (Fethiye in 2019-20 and Instanbul in 2020-21).


Ward enjoyed a decorated college career between 2016-19 at Michigan State. During his tenure with the Spartans, the left-handed post was twice named by coaches an All-Big Ten honorable mention. His freshman season was a decorated one. The powerful forward finished top five in various statistical categories among Big Ten Conference leaders; including first in field goal percentage (59.2), second in offensive rebounds (97) and fourth in blocks (54). 


Ward helped the renowned Division I program reach the NCAA Tournament Final Four in 2019. To cap off his final collegiate season, Ward was named by coaches and media an All-Big Ten third-team selection. Over three years with the Spartans, Ward averaged 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game on 60.5 per cent shooting from field goal range. For his career, Ward’s field goal percentage ranks him third all-time among Big Ten Conference players. 


“Big Nick is a powerful player with tremendous instincts around the rim. Nick's game compliments our shooters and I am really excited about immersing him into our system,” said Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius.


The Bandits tip-off the 2023 CEBL campaign on Saturday, May 27 when the club takes on the Winnipeg Sea Bears at Canada Life Centre. Fans will have their first chance to watch Ward and company on home soil at 7 p.m. PT on Saturday, June 3 when Vancouver welcomes the Calgary Surge for its first-ever visit to LEC.


Season tickets for the fifth season of Bandits Basketball are available for purchase and can be accessed by
clicking here. A full seat map, price chart breakdown, season schedule and a complete list of season ticket holder benefits can be found by clicking here.


A key highlight of Vancouver’s fifth CEBL campaign will be its hosting of Championship Weekend, which takes place between Friday, August 11 and Sunday, August 13. An annual celebration of the highest level of Canadian professional basketball,
Championship Weekend features a postseason format that combines three games of playoff basketball as part of a multi-day festival experience designed to celebrate the intersection of arts, culture and sport. 


As hosts of Championship Weekend, the Bandits receive an automatic semifinal berth.


Individuals interested in learning more about tickets for the Vancouver Bandits’ 2023 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 71 percent of its 2022 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. 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 through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.

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Les BlackJacks d'Ottawa de la Ligue Élite Canadienne de Basketball (LECB), la plus grande ligue sportive professionnelle du Canada, ont annoncé aujourd'hui que l'équipe a signé un contrat avec le arrière Shakur Daniel pour la saison 2025. Daniel, 25 ans, se joint aux BlackJacks après avoir récemment terminé sa première année dans la G-League de la NBA, où il obtient une moyenne de 2,4 points par match et de 2,4 rebonds par match pour les Clippers de San Diego. Il est l'un des 11 Canadiens à avoir joué dans la ligue au cours de la saison 2024-25. Ses 27 matchs joués au cours de la campagne l'ont placé à égalité au deuxième rang parmi les Clippers de première année, tandis que ses 2,0 passes décisives par match l'ont placé à égalité au premier rang parmi tous les joueurs canadiens recrutés dans la G-League. « Shakur est un compétiteur de haut niveau qui a la capacité d'influencer le jeu de différentes façons », a déclaré le directeur général des BlackJacks, James Derouin. « Tout au long de son expérience dans la NCAA, au niveau international et dans la G-League, il a montré qu'il était prêt à faire tout ce qu'il fallait pour gagner. Nous avons hâte de le voir démontrer cette compétitivité dans la capitale nationale cet été. » Le natif d'Ajax, en Ontario, qui mesure 6'6 », a déjà une expérience internationale du basketball puisqu'il a passé la campagne 2023-24 avec le KK Feniks 2010 de la première ligue macédonienne, où il a joué en moyenne 29,2 minutes par match en 25 rencontres de MA Superleague. Ses 4,8 rebonds par match l'ont placé au troisième rang de l'équipe et son pourcentage de .451 à trois points sur 3,6 tentatives par match l'a placé au deuxième rang de tous les joueurs du KK Feniks. L'un des cinq meilleurs joueurs canadiens de niveau secondaire classés par USA Today à sa sortie de la Southwest Christian Academy de Little Rock, en Arkansas, Daniel a entamé sa carrière collégiale à Southern Mississippi (Conference USA) en 2018, où il s'est classé deuxième pour les passes décisives par match (0,7) parmi les joueurs de première année, tout en se taillant une place au tableau d'honneur de la CUSA. Lors de sa deuxième campagne, il a joué pour le Ranger Junior College sous la direction de Billy Gillispie, ancien entraîneur de la division I de la NCAA, où il a été nommé joueur défensif de l'année de la NTJCAC et a mené son équipe à un record de 28-3 en saison régulière. En 2020-21, Daniel rejoint son ancien entraîneur principal à Tarleton State (WAC) alors que le programme passe de la Division II à la Division I. Au cours de ses trois saisons avec les Texans, il réalise une moyenne de 2,6 passes décisives par match tout en jouant en moyenne 33,4 minutes par match, y compris en menant toute la conférence avec 35,6 minutes par match lors de sa saison diplômée. Il est actuellement possible d'acheter des forfaits de billets flexibles en visitant le site theblackjacks.ca/fr-ca/tickets . Les abonnements de saison des BlackJacks 2025 sont disponibles dès maintenant. Pour plus de détails, les amateurs sont invités à envoyer un courriel à [email protected] ou à composer le 613-690-0519. À propos des BlackJacks d'Ottawa Première franchise d'expansion de la Ligue de basket-ball de l'élite canadienne (LECB), les BlackJacks d'Ottawa présentent le meilleur du basket-ball et du divertissement dans la capitale nationale. Le bureau de direction d'Ottawa apporte à la franchise son expérience de la NBA, de la NBA G League, de l'équipe nationale, de la NCAA et des grandes ligues professionnelles internationales. Dirigée par le directeur général James Derouin et l'entraîneur-chef Dave DeAveiro, l'équipe d'Ottawa joue ses matchs à domicile dans l'aréna de classe mondiale de la Place TD, dans le parc Lansdowne. Pour plus d'informations, visitez le site theblackjacks.ca .
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The Vancouver Bandits announced Monday that the club is bringing back 6-foot-9 forward and homegrown talent James Karnik for his third season with British Columbia’s professional basketball team. Hailing from Surrey, B.C., Karnik has established himself as one of the league’s premier power forwards, thanks in part for his thunderous dunks and tenacious defensive presence. Appearing in 24 games for the Bandits across two CEBL campaigns in 2022 and 2024, he owns averages of 11.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.9 blocks in 22.2 minutes of action. “Being able to play two seasons of professional basketball in my home province has been an amazing experience; we are really building something special in BC,” said Karnik. “I’m looking forward to coming home and running it back with the team and our fans for another summer!” Karnik is currently playing overseas for Dutch club Donar Groningen in the BNXT League, where he is averaging a double-double with 16.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 blocks in 26.1 minutes per game, while shooting 53% from the field. Karnik will report to the Bandits at the conclusion of Donar Groningen’s season. His overseas basketball career has also featured stints in Switzerland with Geneva Lions (2022-23) and the Czech Republic with Basket Brno (2022-23). “James has been an incredibly impactful player in the CEBL, he is an absolute beast on the court and a great presence in our locker room. It is truly a privilege to be able to coach and work with someone like James.” Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius said. Holding a Czech passport, Karnik represents the Czech Republic in international FIBA play. Most recently, he was called up to the national team at both the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers and 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup European Qualifiers appearing in four games across both competitions. Prior to turning professional, Karnik played in 130 games across a five year NCAA DI career. Split between Lehigh University (2017-20) and Boston College (2020-22), he owns collegiate career averages of 9.1 points on 56.2 per cent shooting and 6.1 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game. Karnik played high school basketball at Earl Marriott Secondary in Surrey and BC Christian Academy in Port Coquitlam before wrapping up his high school career at Orangeville Prep in Mono, Ont., the alma mater of several current NBAers including Jamal Murray, Oshae Brissett, Luguentz Dort and other recent NBA draft selections. Season Tickets and Jam Packs are currently on sale for the Bandits’ seventh CEBL season and are available for purchase at this link . Single game tickets are expected to go on sale later this spring. The Bandits tip-off the 2025 CEBL campaign on Thursday, May 15 when the club hits the road to take on the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Fans will have their first chance to watch the club at home on Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m. PT when Vancouver hosts the Niagara River Lions in a rematch of the 2024 CEBL Final. Vancouver will play a total of 12 regular season home games in 2025 between Thursday, May 22 and Sunday, August 3. The Bandits wrap up regular season action on the road in Ottawa on Sunday, August 10 at 12 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 2025 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 75% of its rosters being Canadian and a record 12 players with NBA experience in 2024. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. More than 20 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 with games broadcast live on CEBL+ , TSN, TSN+, RDS , Game+ and Next Level Sports & Entertainment . More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube .
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