Five reasons why NBL Canada is thankful

By Luca Rosano

5. The league’s committee

The league’s committee allows the National Basketball League of Canada to grow and prosper. The Commissioner, Paul Riley has done a great job since taking over last year. He has sustained a league that continues to expand and has done a great job of enriching the league’s organizations with the several basketball communities in Canada.

Newly appointed Deputy Commissioner and League General Counselor, Sam Hill has a great love and understanding for the game of basketball. He has had 20 years of experience in sports law and is well equip on both the business and legal side in sports. He gives the league a fresh new wave of operation and is a resource for new ideas.

League Statistician Chuck Miller, Publicity and Promotions head, Audley Stephenson and Director of Media Relations, Wallace Pidgeon do a great job of keeping NBL Canada in perspective by engaging fans and promoting the league nationally.

Every other active member of NBL Canada not mentioned, serves as a huge collective importance to the league.

4. The new tv deal

NBL Canada announced a three-year national TV deal with beIN SPORTS in Canada ensuring that more people nation-wide will be exposed to the league’s product. The partnership will bring weekly live high definition games to Canadian households via Bell TV, Bell Fibre, Eastlink, MTS TV, Rogers and Videtron throughout the 2014-15 season. Games will be aired Thursday and Saturday night during prime time and there will be special tv coverage for playoffs and the NBL-C all-star weekend. This TV deal will expand NBL Canada’s viewership and popularity as a whole.

3. Reputation

NBL Canada has developed a credible reputation of touching lives and giving back to the community. Each organization cares about the well being of their team and all of its players, while the players do a great job of giving back to the community when they’re not playing basketball. They visit schools, help run fundraisers, pay visits to hospitals and do whatever it takes to positively impact their community.

2. The Players

For three seasons NBL Canada has opened the door to great Canadian and worldwide talent. The crop of ballers coming through the NBL-C system continues to grow, the talent level increases every year and the competition rises as well. All-Americans, players from overseas and undiscovered Canadian talents are annually introduced to the league and it’s exciting to see some of the players the league has produced over the years.

Recently, former number one pick of the first ever NBL-C Draft, Morgan Lewis signed a contract with Al Hilal of the Saudi Premier League overseas. NBL-C has now become a platform for undiscovered talent to showcase their skills to a global audience. It also gives aspiring young basketball players the opportunity to climb up the grassroots for a chance to be drafted by the league. Simply put, the players across the league make the NBL-C the competitive and highly entertaining basketball engine it is today.

1.The Fans

Of course without the fans, there is no NBL Canada. The fan base for the league continues to grow and attendance numbers increase every year. The fans are the ones who give the players a reason to play and set a positive mood for the entire league. Whether it’s on social media, at the game, or on the streets, the fans build the community for NBL Canada. Canada has long earned a semi-pro league so hardcore basketball fans all over are happy to see what the NBL-C has become. The fans motivate, influence and shape the direction of the league and it’s the fans’ positive reinforcement that allows the league to keep moving strong.

Luca Rosano is a dedicated sports writer and is the creator of http://www.thewaterboyreport.com. He’s a sports reporter for the Humber Hawks and is a huge basketball lover. Luca is an aspiring on-air personality and young entrepreneur whose ambition to succeed is undeniable. He also likes to act, make Youtube videos and is a motivational speaker. Follow him on twitter @TheSportsRose