The Hamilton Honey Badgers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Thursday that one of Canada Basketball’s core leaders for the past 15 years, Jermaine Anderson, has been named General Manager of the team. He joins the franchise to oversee player procurement and roster management for the Honey Badgers.

“Jermaine Anderson has been a highly regarded leader among players in the Canada Basketball system for many years, and I’m thrilled to be able to provide him with this opportunity to transition into a management position,” said team president John Lashway. “Jermaine has extensive experience as a professional player internationally and has been shadowing the coaching staff and front office personnel within the Raptors 905 organization after finishing his Master of Business Administration degree in the summer. The CEBL exists in large part to develop players, coaches, referees, and sports administrators. Jermaine is precisely the type of up-and-coming professional who can make our league even better while benefitting from an opportunity to apply both his basketball and business knowledge.”

Anderson played in more than 80 international games for Canada’s Senior Men’s National Team from 2004 to 2018 and served as a team captain. He represented Canada in the 2007 Pan-American Games and the 2010 FIBA World Championship. His professional playing career took him to high-level leagues across Europe from 2006 to 2018. As a player, Anderson also contributed off the court by implementing youth programs in cities where he played, and he secured funding and sponsorships for his teams.

“I have followed the CEBL since its inception in 2018 and am excited to be a part of developing this high-level professional basketball league across Canada,” said Anderson. “I look forward to playing the key role in building Hamilton’s roster for the coming season and working with team president John Lashway and our team’s coaches and players as we pursue building the CEBL’s preeminent franchise.”

Following his playing career, Anderson served as a player development coach with Canada Basketball and handled numerous player relations duties that ensured athletes had access to training facilities and medical treatment across Canada. During the summer of 2019 he served as player development coach with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association, the club that developed hall of famer Yao Ming before he entered the National Basketball Association.

“I would like to congratulate Senior Men’s National Team alumni Jermaine Anderson on being selected as General Manager of the Hamilton Honey Badgers,” said Glen Grunwald, president and chief executive officer of Canada Basketball. “It is truly exciting to see our former national team players continue to stay involved in the game with leadership roles in the CEBL. A true leader in every sense of the word, after playing for Canada during the second window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers, Jermaine successfully transitioned into a player dDevelopment role with our Senior Men’s National Team program as he helped Canada, both on and off the court, qualify for this past summer’s FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019.”

A 2006 graduate of Fordham University, Anderson earned his master’s in Management of Technology & Innovation from the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University in September. He founded “Fifty For Free Youth Community Initiative” in January 2018, which is a not-for-profit organization focused on building character, cultivating financial literacy and basketball skill development training for youth in marginalized communities. Anderson, who has earned CSC and LLQP financial certifications, partners with educators, the Toronto District School Board, and corporate stakeholders to deliver summer programming for program participants.

The Hamilton Honey Badgers advanced to the championship game of the inaugural CEBL season in 2019 before settling for the runner-up spot. They open the 2020 season May 8 at Edmonton, with their home-opener scheduled for May 16 against Saskatchewan in a rematch of last season’s championship game. Season tickets are on sale now at www.honeybadgers.ca/tickets or by telephone at (905) 522-BALL.

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Media Contact:

Maria Suriani, Hamilton Honey Badgers

msuriani@honeybadgers.ca