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THURSDAY. lUNl-Z 30. 2016 - WATllLoo 01.0!!!le - 25 M3: “ ~;<. . lill-‘il\li it“ . . :.'~ .. it ./-.».' fir , {51.1.2 ' 5 * ~ f“ mun-nu inmate-oom- . . * ‘ * " 4°“ ' -‘ WMMM-wm . , was .; 5 if. \t “$75; hwn-mmmflflcr; 7", ‘ J _ . - 7 _ rift-WE}? _ ' : rein-(g m M“ m. ' ~;> {a 7 gkfi’.‘ a. 1 “if“ . . A ' "f"; , " ' ;“§’_ f "j. " f '»{‘ri§'»f'fs ’ ._ 31}? “to; "or - if ' ‘ m “553“ .' first}??? , , . ' : J" '-. 7; z.£"1{‘”;§*1g,‘fl .\ . , . ”i -,A I v.::'.â€"’%1‘. National Basketball League announces franchise for Waterloo Region MAD/u! lACKSON They're all great guys and they all were on the same page the in August. the team name, head coach and first signing will 01mm“! SW second they got on board.’ said Magley. be announced. _' T" ‘* 'lt's not like the commissioner is a great peddler and l talked At the end of August or begnning of September, the league rofessional basketball is coming to Waterloo Region this them into doing something they didn't want to do. They were will host its first~ever allâ€"Canadian draft. in which the Waterloo Pwinter. excited as soon as they had the opportunity and they want to Region team has the first pick. The National Basketball League of Canada, headed move very. very quickly." in September, player signings will roll in, and the season will by commissioner David Magley. announced a team has been Some basketball fans in Waterloo could take this announce- start in December. approved for Waterloo Region. That team will start play in the ment with a grain of salt, however. This isn't the first time a pro- “it has been a pretty decent kept secret and the people league this winter. fessional basketball team has been promised. involved in the ownership group are already hearing from a lot The longâ€"rumoured move was made official on Tuesday In September 2015, former Toronto Raptors coach Butch of people who want to be a pan of it,“ said Magley. adding that afternoon at a press confe‘ence at The Aud. Carter announced a Waterloo team would be the cornerstone Ball Construction was impressed with the talent that was willing The majority owner of the team is local company Ball (ionâ€" franchise for his upstan Canadian Basketball league. which was to volunteer for the team. stniction. headed by Cameron and lawn Ball. set to rival the previously~established NHL. One of those volunteers is lohn Thompson. who was named Secondary ownership belongs to software company lnnoâ€" lust months later, in November, Carter announced the CEO of the Waterloo CBL franchise before it folded. Thompson Soft Canada via CEO Brian Foster and chief tech officer [eff Berg. Waterloo team would be delayed a year. was involved in hosting the Memorial Cup in Kitchener in 2008. The third pan of the ovmership group. and the only individual in a way. (garter cleared a lot of the way for the NB]. to come Another is lohn Haddock. former CEO of the YMCA. in the deal is business owner Leon Martin from Elmira. The in to the region. ”Both cities mayors and rec departments are also there ask» approximate cost forteam start up is xiOODOO. "We have this community that I know will support a team. ing 'how can we help?" said Magley. The team. which will be named as pan of a contest in about plus you have a volunteer base of JOâ€"plus people that Butch According to Magley. community is what local sports teams a month's time. is expected to play at The And, but the City of Carter touched base with earlier." said Magley. "We have a are all about. Kitchener and the NB! have yet to undertake negotiations for group of people who were ready to go about a year ago that are “Because we're a winter spon. we're really involved with the the space. really excited to get things going.’ schools because we get to be there during the school season.' Magley said the NB! has been looking at the Waterloo With the Waterloo Repon team. a total of H) teams are now said Magley. adding that the NHL players will stand out a bit. Region essentially suite the league started six years ago. but in the league Franchises are required to have at least four even in high schools. "It's an automatic attentiongetter." nothing has been solidified until now ( anadian players. but there is no requirement to sign locals The The league hopes they can use that attention getting sin to And now that they're in. he expects the franchise to thrive average salary is only “50,000. while team operating budgets do what they can to curb issues such as bullying and drug abuse [he ownership group represents a broad and diverse cross range from $500,000 to $7501le 'We'll deliver whatever message is needed in this area.“ said section ofthe community. which Maglev believes will help ticket Maglev said the NBl wants the team to be a Waterloo Region Magley sales and sponsorship With Rail (Ionstnution. a large workforce or rri Cities team. rather than just belonging to one city Ticket prices have yet to be determined. but they will go on is reached. along with the “instruction industry With lnnosoft, "We want to make sure we don't leave anyone out." said sale shortly with season tickets available Magley believes that Kit: honors lf‘t h industn is reached. and with Martin. the word Magley with how connected the ownership group is. the courtside seats r an get out to the townships in Watcrlm Region In towns of timelines. where is a lot of work to be done before will go very quickly Before meeting over the last few weeks. the three groups had first tip off in the fall "This is a market people have looked for and lusted for for a never met In mid lulv. the team will be named using the results from long time l'm very excited for this opportunlty for our league.’ Norm-one «thou- must have really had good fortune on its fan suggestions at www kvmbl com Cmdnnedmnifl v-a-fl‘