For a premiere fois in près de 10 ans, the metropolis will be represented by a professional basketball team.
On May 25, the Montreal Alliance confronted the Honey Badgers in Hamilton, for the first match in their history in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (LECB).
Four days later, the Alliance makes its debut in front of its supporters at the Verdun Auditorium.
Less than a month away from the opening of this new chapter, what can Montrealers expect from their new club?
“We’re going to put on a good show, that’s for sure,” shouts the director general of the Alliance, Joel Anthony.
“We try to attract families and children to make the experience enjoyable, but I also believe that the real fans of Montreal basketball will be there”, he continues.
As an expansion team, integrating a league leaves it in place n’est toutefois pas chose simple.
The director is well aware of this.
“We are a professional team, so of course we want to be competitive and win as often as possible. However, we have to be realistic and focus on the development of our players and our program. The goal is, above all, to build a culture that will endure.”
Celui who reported two champions of the National Basket Association (NBA) with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013 in this country’s first round.
Joel Anthony waits to impart his expertise to the players as well as his coaching staff.
It is also Vincent Lavandier who turns as head coach of the Montreal team.
“The watchword for us is versatility. vincent [Lavandier] and me, we like players who can play in different positions,” mentioned Joel Anthony.
“It makes everyone’s job easier and it gives flexibility to our staff. The athletic qualities are also three important.”
The team’s training camp will be held in Branle on May 16, so the inaugural match at the Verdun Auditorium will be held on May 29. For the occasion, the Alliance hosts a visit from the Shooting Stars of Scarborough.
The team takes shape
A few weeks away from the start of training camp, almost all the pieces of the puzzle are now assembled.
Lords of the repêchage U Sports of the LECB who will be released on April 19th, the Montreal club is jetted over by the young men who are the most promising in their country, Alain Louis and Marc-André Fortin.
Louis, the second overall pick, played his college basketball with the Carleton University Ravens while Fortin, 19and Draft selection, lined up with the Laval University Rouge et Or.
Six-foot-seven Montrealer Nathan Cayo also joined the team in recent weeks. He who wears the uniform of the Spiders of the University of Richmond rents his fold after five seasons passed in Virginia.
“I’m really excited to start playing in front of the fans and to be part of this first season for the Montreal Alliance,” mentioned Cayo, 24 years old.
“I would like to thank God for this opportunity to start my professional career in Montreal, the city where I grew up and learned to play basketball.”
The latest addition to the Alliance is named Hernst Laroche. This 33-year-old Montrealer played four seasons in NCAA Division 1 before going into exile in France, Argentina and Tunisia to pursue his professional career.
“I fully intend to give back to the city that has given me so much,” as mentioned by Hernst Laroche.
“This is a unique opportunity to shine the colors of Montreal across the country and even internationally. What a pride to represent my hometown!”
Montrealers will have the chance to attend 10 matches of the Alliance this summer at the Verdun Auditorium.
Canadian Elite Basketball League (LECB)
Regrouping these teams from an ocean to the other, the LECB is the only professional basketball league in the country. Established in 2019, the league has more than 75% of Canadian players, which makes it the professional league with the highest representation of local players in the country.
Each team plays 20 matches, half of which are at home.
Originally made up of six teams, it joined the Ottawa Blackjacks Accueilli in 2020 as it launched an expanding franchise.
This year, Montreal joins Scarborough and St. John’s in the second wave of LECB development.
Les Stingers d’Edmonton, double champions in titre, tried to return the palm for a three-year anniversary.
