The president of The Basketball League (TBL), David Magley, was in Moncton on Wednesday to present his project to revive professional basketball in Moncton. A sport that has struggled in the region in the past.
But Magley is confident that his league – which is entering its seventh season in the United States – will be able to appeal in a more hockey-centric market.
“It’s a great hockey market. But it’s also a very good basketball market. There was a time when the Miracles or the Magic attracted good crowds. We must first be profitable. It must be recognized that the level of the market dictates what one can pay and what price one can ask at the counter. If we find the right amphitheater at a good price, then we can reduce the entry prices.”
“Our league has a short season, from March to May, with series in June. However, most hockey leagues then completed their calendar. We don’t need to compete with the Wildcats for fans,” explains the former Cleveland Cavaliers player, as an example.
“The fans who come to the games come to know and like the players on their team. Our players do not wear masks. They are expected to be there for the fans and to be involved in the community. We need to become more important in the community than on the court.”
“Basketball is popular all over the world. There is no reason why it should not be in Canada,” he explained earlier during the press briefing.
Magley is well known in Canada. In addition to the BSL, he was the commissioner of the National Basketball League of Canada from 2015 to 2017.
In its seventh year, the TBL now includes 38 teams in four divisions. Initially, there were only eight. Despite this dazzling growth, its president claims that the league is now financially stable and has no debt.
The TBL plans to add five teams in the Maritimes soon, including Bangor, Maine. Although he did not want to announce the names of the new teams before agreements were made official, it is clear that in addition to Moncton, Bathurst and Charlottetown are among the cities targeted.
Will there necessarily be Canadian content? No. But there will inevitably be Canadian athletes on the teams.
“We don’t want to limit clubs’ options as there is a huge amount of talent available. But there are bound to be some as Canada produces a lot of basketball players. In college division 1 (NCAA), there are more athletes from Toronto than from New York City,” illustrates the commissioner.
The league is particularly suited to small towns and aims above all for the profitability of the teams, by targeting venues suited to the fans, i.e. around 2000 spectators. It also avoids arenas where the ice surface must be converted, which entails significant costs.
Players are paid between $1500 and $2000 per month during the season. Magley assures that at this price, we can still present talented teams, thanks to the very large pool of players available.
It’s this formula of playing within your means that allows the league to offer competitive teams to smaller markets, according to Magley.
“The best teams in the TBL play in markets that look like yours. These are towns of 40,000 to 120,000 people. Kokomo, Indiana has a population of 60,000 and (the Bobcats) draw 2,000 fans per game. Shawnee, Oklahoma has 35,000 people, and (the Potawatomi Fire) draws 1,800 people. (Moncton and the TBL), it’s a perfect marriage.”
The TBL does not intend to compete with the BSL (Basketball Super League), as Magley is also its president. The BSL, which began its activities in December, currently brings together six Canadian teams, in St. John’s (Rogues), in Montreal (Tundra), in London (Lightning), in Kitchener-Waterloo (Titans), in Sudbury ( Five) and in Windsor, Ontario (Express). Fifteen American teams will join them starting next season, including some from the TBL.
Ultimately, David Magley dreams of a European-style system, where the best teams in the TBL would be promoted to the BSL and conversely, the worst in the BSL would be relegated to the TBL.
All that remains is to wait for the official announcements of the new teams once the details are finalized.
In brief… The Moncton Magic played in the National Basketball League of Canada from 2017 to 2021. The team closed the books in the wake of the pandemic. The LNBC in turn closed its books at the end of the 2023 season. That’s when the remaining teams – Kitchener-W., London, Sudbury and Windsor – joined the new BSL, before being joined by Montreal and St. John’s… The Magic replaced the Moncton Miracles in 2017, a team that had been managed by the league due to lack of ownership for three years, following the departure of its founder, Steven Conville…
2024-04-10 18:47:35
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