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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.