Cape Breton Highlanders (basketball)

{{Infobox Basketball club

| name = Cape Breton Highlanders

| color1 = white

| color2 = #016BB7

| color3 = #ED174D

| current =

| logo = Cape Breton Highlanders Logo.gif

| division = Atlantic Division

| founded = 2015

| dissolved =2019

| league = NBL Canada

| history = Cape Breton Highlanders
2016–2019

| arena = Centre 200

| city = Sydney, Nova Scotia

| colours = Blue, red, white
{{Colour box|#016BB7}} {{Colour box|#ED174D}} {{Colour box|white}}

| president = Tyrone Levingston

| coach = Bernardo Fitz-Gonzalez

| championships =

| website = {{url|https://www.highlandersbasketball.ca/|HighlandersBasketball.ca}}

}}

The Cape Breton Highlanders were a Canadian professional basketball team based in Sydney, Nova Scotia. They were granted a hiatus from the National Basketball League of Canada for the 2019–20 season, but have no schedule to return.

History

In early June 2015, it was announced that Tyrone Levingston, the son of Halifax Rainmen owner Andre Levingston, was making an attempt to establish a basketball team in Sydney, Nova Scotia in Cape Breton Island. He drew attention from businessman Parker Rudderham and many other locals that were willing to become a part of the team's ownership.{{cite web|last1=Colello|first1=T. J.|title=Levingston looks to bring NBL Canada to Sydney|url=http://www.capebretonpost.com/Sports/2015-06-03/article-4169677/Levingston-looks-to-bring-NBL-Canada-to-Sydney/1|website=Cape Breton Post|accessdate=24 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125101151/http://www.capebretonpost.com/Sports/2015-06-03/article-4169677/Levingston-looks-to-bring-NBL-Canada-to-Sydney/1|archive-date=25 November 2015|url-status=dead}} Instead of him being the sole owner, Levingston preferred to have a group of multiple investors.{{cite web|last1=Cochrane|first1=Chris|title=NBL, Sydney talk about franchise|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/sports/1290858-cochrane-nbl-sydney-talk-about-franchise|website=The Chronicle Herald|accessdate=24 November 2015}} By August, the team had expectations of playing their home games at Centre 200 and hoped to compete in the 2015–16 NBL Canada season.{{cite web|last1=Jala|first1=David|title=Talks ongoing to bring pro basketball back to Cape Breton|url=http://www.capebretonpost.com/Sports/2015-08-04/article-4236019/Talks-ongoing-to-bring-pro-basketball-back-to-Cape-Breton/1|website=Cape Breton Post|accessdate=24 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125103902/http://www.capebretonpost.com/Sports/2015-08-04/article-4236019/Talks-ongoing-to-bring-pro-basketball-back-to-Cape-Breton/1|archive-date=25 November 2015|url-status=dead}}

On September 22, 2015, the team was officially admitted into the league for the upcoming season. Centre 200 was confirmed as their future home arena. Commissioner Dave Magley expected the league's expansion into Sydney to have positive financial ramifications.{{cite web|last1=Pottie|first1=Erin|title=Sydney wins National Basketball League of Canada franchise|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/sports/1312599-sydney-wins-national-basketball-league-of-canada-franchise|website=The Chronicle Herald|accessdate=24 November 2015}} The team was also announced to be called "Cape Breton", with their nickname to be decided through a public contest. The nickname would be announced on October 15.{{cite web|title=NBL expanding to Cape Breton|url=http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Sports/2015-09-22/article-4285657/NBL-expanding-to-Cape-Breton/1|website=The Guardian|accessdate=24 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125122428/http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Sports/2015-09-22/article-4285657/NBL-expanding-to-Cape-Breton/1|archive-date=25 November 2015|url-status=dead}}

However, at the time Cape Breton's nickname was expected to be released to the public, the team was put on hold for the 2015–16 season, because they were unable to "get all the financing and other details put in place."{{cite web|last1=Higgins|first1=Hal|title=National Basketball of League Canada team on hold in Cape Breton|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/basketball-franchise-league-nbl-1.3274069|website=CBC|accessdate=24 November 2015}} Levingston said that he aimed to strike more sponsorship deals to ensure that the team would compete in the following season. Nevertheless, he planned to promote their nickname and logo as soon as possible. On November 24, 2015, the team's nickname was officially announced as the "Cape Breton Highlanders". It was inspired by the Cape Breton Highlanders military unit and the geography of the Cape Breton area itself.{{cite web|title=Cape Breton's NBL team will be known as the Highlanders|url=http://www.capebretonpost.com/news/local/cape-bretons-nbl-team-will-be-known-as-the-highlanders-10577/|website=Cape Breton Post|accessdate=24 May 2018}} Centre 200 was the site of a 2015–16 NBL Canada preseason game between the Halifax Hurricanes and the Island Storm in order to promote the league to the new market. The Hurricanes won the game 106-103 in front of approximately 1,100 fans.{{cite web|title=Criswell makes case for roster spot...|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/hurricanes/1328557-criswell-makes-case-for-roster-spot-with-20-points-in-hurricanes-win|website=The Chronicle Herald|accessdate=29 December 2015}} On August 29, 2016, the Highlanders announced its ownership group and confirmed that the paperwork was being finalized with the league in order to join for the 2016–17 season.{{cite web |url=http://www.capebretonpost.com/Sports/2016-08-29/article-4627873/Highlanders-a-go-this-season/1 |title=Highlanders a go this season |publisher=Cape Breton Post |date=August 29, 2016 |access-date=August 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918202652/http://www.capebretonpost.com/Sports/2016-08-29/article-4627873/Highlanders-a-go-this-season/1 |archive-date=September 18, 2018 |url-status=dead }} On October 7, the Highlanders announced its first head coach would be Dean Murray.{{cite web |url=http://media.wix.com/ugd/fa51d9_48d6dcf59ae24f6ea92c503df246950d.pdf |title=Head Coach, First Signed Players, and Season Tickets Sales |publisher=Cape Breton Highlanders |date=October 7, 2016}}

Coach Murray would end up being released midway through the first season on January 22 and replaced by assistant coach Ben Resner. When the season ended, the Highlanders were last in the Atlantic Division with a 15–25 record and failed to make the playoffs. In July 2017, the Highlanders hired longtime NBLC coach Rob Spon as the head coach for the 2017–18 season.{{cite web |url=https://www.localxpress.ca/local-news/cape-breton-highlanders-announce-rob-spon-as-head-coach-673952 |title=Cape Breton Highlanders announce Rob Spon as head coach |work=Localxpress.ca |date=18 July 2017 |access-date=2017-08-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825230628/https://www.localxpress.ca/local-news/cape-breton-highlanders-announce-rob-spon-as-head-coach-673952# |archive-date=2017-08-25 |url-status=dead }} Spon left after one season and was replaced by Bernardo Fitz-Gonzalez, a former Colombia national basketball team player.{{cite web |url=http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/sports/other-sports/fitz-gonzalez-named-highlanders-coach-244256/ |title=Fitz-Gonzalez named Highlanders coach |work=The Chronicle Herald |date=September 24, 2018}} Under Fitz-Gonzalez, the team qualified for the playoffs for the first time. They lost to the Halifax Hurricanes two games to three in the best-of-five series.

After the season ended, team president and general manager Tyrone Levingston stated the team is in need of financial support from the community if the team is to return for the 2019–20 season.{{cite web |url=https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/sports/cape-breton-highlanders-desperate-for-support-in-order-to-continue-professional-basketball-in-sydney-308002/ |title=Cape Breton Highlanders ‘desperate for support’ in order to continue professional basketball in Sydney |work=The Chronicle Herald |date=May 3, 2019}} The organization then announced it had suspended operations on July 11, 2019, when they could not afford to pay the league dues.{{cite web |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/highlanders-to-suspend-operations/n-5518301 |title=Highlanders to Suspend Operations |website=OurSports Central |date=July 11, 2019}} Levingston then announced a season ticket drive in which the team had to sell 1500 season tickets by August 25 in order to save the season, but only sold 652.{{cite web |url=https://www.capebretonpost.com/sports/local-sports/cape-breton-highlanders-come-up-short-in-season-ticket-drive-345041/ |title=Cape Breton Highlanders come up short in season ticket drive |website=Cape Breton Post |date=August 25, 2019}}

As of 2021, there are no plans for the Highlanders to return.{{cite web |url=https://www.saltwire.com/cape-breton/sports/irwin-simon-says-time-has-to-be-right-for-professional-basketballs-return-to-cape-breton-100650698/ |title=Irwin Simon says time has to be right for professional basketball's return to Cape Breton |website=saltwire.com |date=October 28, 2021}}

Season-by-season record

rowspan="2"\|Season	rowspan="2"\|Coach	colspan="4"\|Regular season	colspan="4"\|Post season
class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
Won	Lost	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %	Result
2016–17	Dean Murray Ben Resner	15	25	.375	5th	colspan=4\| Did not qualify
2017–18	Rob Spon	13	27	{{winpct\|13\|27}}	5th	colspan=4\| Did not qualify
2018–19	Bernardo Fitz-Gonzalez	19	21	{{winpct\|19\|21}}	3rd	2	3	{{winpct\|2\|3}}	Lost in Division Semifinals
colspan="2"\|Totals	47	73	{{winpct\|47\|73}}	—	2	3	{{winpct\|2\|3}}

Current roster

{{Basketball roster header

| team = Cape Breton Highlanders

| bg1 = #016BB7

| color1 = white

| bg2 = #ED174D

| color2 = black}}

{{player3 | num = | nat = USA| first = Jamal | last = Branch | pos = G |ft= 6|in=3 | lbs =170|month=09|year=1992|date=30}}

{{player3 | num = 22 | nat = CAN| first = Jabari | last = Craig | pos = C |ft= 6|in=10 | lbs=235|month=08|year=1995|date=08}}

{{player3 | num = | nat = CAN| first = Olu | last = Famutimi | pos = G |ft= 6|in=5 | lbs =220|month=02|year=1984|date=21}}

{{player3 | num = 32 | nat = USA| first = Tanner | last = Giddings | pos = C |ft= 6|in=10 | lbs =220|month=04|year=1994|date=17}}

{{player3 | num = 23 | nat = CAN| first = Chris | last = Johnson|dab=basketball, born 1988| pos = F |ft= 6|in=5 | lbs=205|month=07|year=1988|date=13}}

{{player3 | num = 21 | nat = USA| first = Kenny | last = Jones|dab=basketball, born 1984 | pos = PF |ft= 6|in=6 | lbs =215|month=01|year=1984|date=17}}

{{player3 | num = 1 | nat = USA| first = Bruce | last = Massey Jr. | pos = SG |ft= 6|in=3 | lbs =195|month=09|year=1990|date=02}}

{{player3 | num = 6 | nat = USA| first = O'Louis | last = McCullough | pos = F |ft= 6|in=6 | lbs =220|month=03|year=1982|date=13}}

{{player3 | num = 11 | nat = CAN| first = Aaron | last = Redpath | pos = SG |ft= 6|in=4 | lbs=195|month=09|year=1992|date=11}}

{{player3 | num = 9 | nat = CAN| first = Jamal | last = Reynolds|dab=basketball| pos = SG |ft= 6|in=4 | lbs=175|month=02|year=1994|date=27}}

{{player3 | num = 3 | nat = USA| first = Justin | last = Taylor |dab=basketball| pos = PG |ft= 6|in=3 | lbs =205|month=12|year=1985|date=06}}

{{player3 | num = 5 | nat = USA| first = Deshaunt | last = Walker |pos = G |ft= 6|in=0 | lbs =170|month=09|year=1991|date=21}}

{{player3 | num = 13 | nat = USA| first = George | last = Williams |dab=basketball, born 1990 | pos = F |ft= 6|in=5 | lbs =220|month=04|year=1990|date=16}}

{{Basketball roster footer

| head_coach =

{{player|||Bernardo Fitz-Gonzalez}}

|asst_coach =

|Team Manager =

|roster_url = https://capebreton.lokol.me/highlanders-pro-basketball-announce-season-3-roster

| transaction_url =

|accessdate = December 17, 2018

| legend1 = (I) Inactive

}}

References

External links

{{Official website}}

Category:National Basketball League of Canada teams

Category:Basketball teams established in 2015

Category:Basketball teams in Nova Scotia