Calgary Surge names Shane James as team's first GM
With less than three months remaining until the team's home opener, the Calgary Surge have handed the reins to a prestigious name in Canadian basketball circles.
The Canadian Elite Basketball League club announced Wednesday that Shane James had been hired as the team's first general manager.
James served as assistant general manager for the Guelph Nighthawks for the last two seasons prior to the league's decision to relocate the team to Calgary and rebrand as the Surge.
The 38-year-old Toronto native's path to Calgary included four years as a guard in NCAA Div. 1 with the Loyola University of Maryland Greyhounds and stints with professional squads in the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Mexico.
"I am honoured to join the Calgary Surge as the club's first general manager and to work in partnership with Jason (Ribeiro, Surge vice-chairman and president) and the Surge front office to build a championship-winning roster," said James in a statement released Wednesday. "I loved my time recruiting and signing players with the Guelph Nighthawks and am ready to continue this work in the great city of Calgary.
"I have been really impressed with what the Surge are doing in community and for youth since launching in October. Surge fans can look forward to an entertaining basketball experience when they pass through the doors of WinSport Event Centre beginning this spring."
James has already had a significant impact on youth basketball in Canada, founding the Under Armour Canada Elite AAU basketball program and serving as the program's director.
The signing of James was praised by two-time NBA Executive of the Year Brian Colangelo.
"Shane James is a great hire for the Surge as they prepare for their inaugural season in the CEBL," said the former Toronto Raptors general manager. "Shane's proven and successful experiences as a player, coach, and people manager, combined with his innate ability to identify talent, build organizational culture, and lead players, will greatly benefit the Surge in developing an elite-level basketball program from the ground up."
James has his work cut out for him in compiling a roster and coaching staff ahead of the Calgary Surge debut on May 27 at WinSport against the Edmonton Stingers.
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