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The prospect of building up a team from scratch hasn’t deterred Mike Taylor. On the contrary, he’s embraced the excitement and the enthusiasm that comes with it.
As the head coach of Winnipeg’s newest basketball team, the Sea Bears, Taylor said he’s ready for the team to leave its mark in the city.
“You’ve got the Jets, the Bombers, the Goldeyes… it’s been missing basketball,” said Taylor. “I think there’s excitement about the inaugural season and excitement about starting something new.”
The introduction of the Sea Bears comes six months after the Canadian Elite Basketball League announced an expansion into Winnipeg. The team launched its training camp on May 19. consisting of a squad of 16 players. But it isn’t the first time the city has had a brush with basketball franchises.
The Thunder were active in the early 1990s while the Cyclones operated from the mid-90s to early 2000s.
Among the players in the newly-minted Sea Bears are guys that are fresh off their university seasons and professional veterans.
Taylor noted that the squad’s roster is built to fit together, with players that are committed to wanting to build a great team.
One of the players, Simon Hildebrandt, said he’s learning by playing with guys who have more experience. Having grown up in the city, he said it’s great to continue playing at home.
“(It’s) going to be really fun to watch. We’ve got a lot of guys who play really well together after only three or four days,” said Hildebrandt. “(We’re) going to move the ball, run fast and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
The team’s head coach said that while the goal is to grow and establish a team, a championship win isn’t off the table.
“We want to have the players give their best and play with their heart every second they’re on the court,” said Taylor.
For Shawn Maranan, another player, this inaugural journey is one he wants to capitalize on.
“Me being young, I’m just trying to be a sponge and I’m trying to learn as much as I can with all the veteran guys who have been here before. Obviously, they’re professionals, so (I’m) just trying to pick up what I can from the older guys,” said Maranan.
The Sea Bears will play their first game on May 27 at the Canada Life Centre, against the Vancouver Bandits.
– With files from Global’s Teagan Rasche
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