Sunday afternoon marked the first of four meetings between former teammates Zane Waterman and LJ Thorpe, now opponents in Lithuania representing BC Neptunas Klaipeda and Utenos Juventus, respectively.

Nuptunas remains undefeated in their Lietuvos Krepšinio Lyga campaign with a perfect 3-0 record behind Waterman’s 13-point performance, continuing a streak of three consecutive double-digit scoring efforts. Waterman recorded 15 points and six rebounds in his previous outing against Jovana on September 29, following up on a 17-point performance in the season opener September 21 versus Rytas.

“It’s always fun to go up against familiar faces, especially teammates,” said Wateman. “LJ (Thorpe) is an amazing player and I’d much rather have him on my side.”

Thorpe contributed 11 points and five assists in the losing effort for Juventus, falling to 1-2 on the Lietuvos Krepšinio Lyga season. Juventus opened the season splitting a pair of Basketball Champions League Qualifying games, defeating Spartak and losing to Sassari. Through five games with his new club, Thorpe is averaging 14.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists.

This marks the second consecutive season where Waterman and Thorpe have gone head-to-head overseas. Prior to joining forces in Brampton, both players spent last season in Lithuania when Thorpe was a member of BC Siauliai and Waterman played for BC Nevezis-Optibet with Thorpe’s squad taking the season series 2-1.

Thorpe and Wateman led the offensive attack for the Honey Badgers this summer averaging 12.1 and 15.9 points, respectively. The Brampton duo’s next matchup takes place November 30 when Juventus visits Neptunas.

Brampton Honey Badgers season tickets are now available in advance of the CEBL's seventh season which tips off in May 2025. Visit honeybadgers.ca/tickets or contact tickets@honeybadgers.com for more information.



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About the Brampton Honey Badgers

One of the original franchises of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the 2022 CEBL Champion Brampton Honey Badgers proudly call the CAA Centre home. The Brampton front office and basketball operations department bring NBA, NBA G League, national team, NCAA and major international pro league experience to the franchise. With a vision of promoting Brampton grassroots basketball and local businesses through community and corporate engagement, the Honey Badgers will leverage the explosion of basketball as a vehicle for innovation and change. For more information visit www.honeybadgers.ca.

About the Canadian Elite Basketball League (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. Nineteen 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 onCEBL+ powered by BetVictor,TSN,TSN+,RDS,Game+,Next Level Sports & Entertainment andCourtside1891. More information about the CEBL is available atCEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.