The legendary western rattlesnake of the Saskatchewan Rattlers basketball team is no more. Under the leadership of its new owners, the team now makes way for the Saskatoon Mamba. If the snake remains the emblem of the formation, it swaps green for purple.
The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CBLE) team says that this new image is a deliberate acknowledgment of the team’s origins
.
New owners Jason Ribeiro and Usman Tahir Jutt also own the Calgary Surge, another team in the LECB.
Jason Ribeiro found strange that in the name of the team there was Saskatchewan, but there was not a significant level of commitment throughout the province
.
I think by stabilizing, by creating some pride in the local population, which is 99.9% of the people who come to these games, by prioritizing them, all of it, properly, we will have a solid base to, in my opinion, grow and develop throughout the province
he believes.
A new home
For the 8e season, the Saskatoon Mamba turns to Merlis Belsher Place, on the University of Saskatchewan campus, to play the majority of its home games. The remaining games will be held at the SaskTel Centre, as has been the case in the past. For comparison, Merlis Belsher Square can accommodate 2,750 spectators, compared to 15,000 for the SaskTel Centre.
The LECB takes place from May to August and has 10 teams spread across six provinces.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Trevor Bothorel
According to the owners, it is a new chapter for professional basketball in Saskatchewan
.
The team was in the bottom third of league-wide merchandise sales rankings
admitted Jason Ribeiro, adding that the decision to change the image was difficile
. We struggled to see, hear or feel the brand resonate in youth basketball, in arts and culture and in civic narratives.
The Canadian Elite Basketball League has a national scope, but it is essentially rooted in the community. The revitalization of the Saskatoon franchise reflects this commitment
indicated the president of the League, Tyler Mazereeuw.
THE Rattlers of Saskatchewan were at the bottom of the rankings for the majority of the last seasons. In total, between 2,100 and 2,400 fans traveled to see the games in 2025, a contrast to 2019, when the Rattlers began their journey in the League, where the team won the first championship of the League. LECB.
