Ransford Brempong uses poetry to voice frustrations on racial inequality and to push for positive change
Liam Fox • September 30, 2020
Ransford Brempong made his name on the hardwood, but he leans on spoken word poetry as an intellectual and creative outlet. He has used it this year as a form of expression and commentary on the inequality that he sees in the world around him.
The 39-year-old spent last summer with the Fraser Valley Bandits after a lengthy playing career in Europe and with the Canadian national team. Now, Brempong is encouraging other Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) players to use their platform to create positive messages that inspire fellow Canadians to use their voice.
“Before I knew it, I had written that poem and it’s very relevant to what is going on,” Brempong said. “It’s just encouragement to everyone, like we can do better.”
Brempong’s poem – titled ‘Dap That’ – explores issues of social justice and the Black Lives Matter movement following the killing of George Floyd.
“It was the physical manifestation of 21 seconds of silence. Long enough to feel the violence,” states Brempong in his poem.
Part of why Brempong played in the CEBL last summer was because he wanted kids in Vancouver to see that they could play professional basketball in Canada. Inspiring the next generation has been a driving factor for him in pushing messages of justice and equality though his poetry as well. He thinks the CEBL and its players have an opportunity to make an impact in their respective Canadian communities.
“I would encourage the players in the CEBL to use their voice,” Brempong said. “What an opportunity to make a change for them in their lives. Also – more importantly – for your kids. They’re going to be the generation that’s coming up. As a basketball player, that’s kind of your job.”
“For players right now in the middle of their career, the prime of their career, your responsibility is to look out for that next generation through basketball. That’s the vehicle we are using, but it’s bigger than ball.”
Brempong is a basketball lifer, describing his recent career as going the “Vince Carter route” in terms of his longevity in the sport. Basketball, which included eight years spent with Canada’s Senior Men’s National Team, taught him how to push himself to be in uncomfortable situations and navigate a way through them.
That meant self-improvement.
Even though he practiced with Steve Nash and played against Kobe Bryant, Brempong understood the importance of also pushing himself off the court.
Brempong first got involved with spoken word poetry around 2011. He was playing professional basketball in Düsseldorf, Germany and was reading Jay-Z’s memoir, Decoded. In the book, Jay-Z reflects on his younger self coming up with rhymes in his head and never having to write them down to remember.
Brempong did not consider himself to have a great memory but wanted to challenge himself with doing the same. He spent a lot of time in Germany with his own thoughts, coming up with new rhymes and expanding on his poetic skills. It became a strong muscle for Brempong and led him to creating full-length poems.
He has lived among a variety of communities in and outside of Canada, granting him experiences that have given him plenty of perspective and material for his poetry.
Brempong grew up in Winnipeg and is a self-proclaimed “prairie boy at heart.” His parents are from Ghana, however, and he moved to Toronto in high school. Brempong was part of a diverse Toronto basketball scene with immigrants and cultures from across the globe. The sport took him next to college in North Carolina, which set the stage for a six-year stint as a European pro in Germany and Holland.
“All of those different cultures and different scenarios and people I met along the way just gave me a very open perspective to things that are happening daily to everyone,” Brempong said. “All of that came together in the poems that I wrote.”
He finds that poetry is a strong vehicle to bring ideas and experiences together. It also makes it easier for people to understand and relate to. Brempong has performed his poetry at various events in B.C. and has spoken about the racism he has seen in Canada.
“It’s good to spread a message. I feel like my message is one of inclusiveness,” Brempong said. “If you do it in a creative or eloquent way, a lot of the time people are able to accept it easier.”
Brempong now describes himself as a basketball consultant. He works with youth across North Vancouver, including an after-school program called 3PointBasketball. He got involved to help teach basketball technique to elementary school kids, knowing the importance of the grassroots level to growing the game.
Part of Brempong sharing his poetry is showing kids that trying to excel at something else does not take away from the type of athlete that you can be. He feels that social media often presents today’s kids with a mold where they think they have to fit. Brempong encourages kids to “write their own story.”
“I know for a lot of boys growing up, they try to take on the jock mentality,” he said. “I was always trying to buck the jock mentality. I was like, ‘I’m more than just a basketball player. Please don’t put me in that box.’”
Brempong says he recognizes that spoken word poetry is something that works for him personally, but he encourages the kids he coaches to experiment with creativity as a way to express themselves.
“Everyone has to find their own thing that works for them, but I definitely would say poetry or writing or any type of expression…that is going to stimulate your brain, it’s a good thing.”
LATEST NEWS
A late game comeback helped the Vancouver Bandits become the first team to defeat the Brampton Honey Badgers this season, clinching a 93-87 win on Saturday night. A career-high 19 points from Dominic Parolin and 23 points and 12 assists from Jaelen House led the Bandits to their fourth straight win. “It’s just another game. I trust my work and I trust my teammates,” said House, who recorded his fourth double-double of the season. Both teams entered action on top of their conferences, the Bandits at 4-1 while the Honey Badgers were undefeated at 5-0. It was a slow start on either end for the Bandits and the Honey Badgers, with the Bandits showing rust on the latter half of a back-to-back. Bandits head coach Kyle Julius credited his team’s recovery to stay engaged during back-to-back games. “We spend a lot of time on recovery because no one has to travel like we do,” said Julius. “We make it a tough grind in practice so (we) can come and do that in games like this. I feel like we’re built for it.” An early sub, entering Parolin into the game, gave the Bandits a jolt of energy. He recorded eight points and four rebounds by the end of the first quarter. “Those are major stats for a Canadian in our league so I’m super proud of him,” said Julius about the Coquitlam native. “I think the sky is the limit. He’s going to be a great pro for a really long time.” The teams could barely be separated after ten minutes as the Bandits narrowly led 21-20 after one. It was a physical game as the Bandits and Honey Badgers carved their way into the heart of the defence and got rewarded, shooting a combined 42 free throws. Five Bandits reached double-digit scoring, including Parolin who also finished with a game-high three blocks. Tyrese Samuel added 17 points, a season-high seven assists and 10 rebounds, while Jarkel Joiner scored 11 points to continue his streak of scoring 10+ points in his first three games. More back-and-forth followed in the second quarter, but the Bandits surrendered the lead to trail 47-45 into the break. Brampton’s Sean East II scored 20 of his 35 points in the first half. The Bandits briefly took the lead in the third quarter, but the Honey Badgers’ bench, led by six quick points from Keon Ambrose-Hylton helped them take a 67-64 lead into the final quarter. Vancouver began the fourth quarter on a 13-2 run and never looked back, with buckets coming from all areas of the court. A Miller Kopp three pointer in target time sealed the win for the Bandits. Kopp finished with 18 points and four threes made. “(Miller) has been phenomenal. I love coaching him and being around him,” said Julius. “He’s special because he doesn't get too high or too low and that’s why he’s always ready to make a shot.” The Bandits will travel to take on the Ottawa Blackjacks for the final game of a three-game round trip on Tuesday, before heading to Kelowna for a matchup with the Saskatoon Mamba. “We just stay the course and follow the process.”
The Vancouver Bandits spoiled the Niagara River Lions’ banner ceremony with a dominant 110-100 win over the two-time defending Canadian Elite Basketball League champions on Friday night. Tyrese Samuel’s season-high 29 points and season-high 14 rebounds led the game in both categories. The 6’9 forward missed just one shot all game, going 9-10 from the field and a perfect two-for-two from three. Samuel credited his teammates for helping get into a groove offensively, describing the Bandits as a “good time” early in the season. Bandits head coach Kyle Julius praised Samuel’s play as a backbone for the rest of the team’s play. “He knows he’s a leader and he wants to keep leading us,” said Julius. Jaelen House, who entered action averaging a league-high 10.0 assists per game, notched his third double-double of the season with 15 points and 13 assists. The game began in back-and-forth fashion with neither team putting an emphasis on defence, tied at 29 after the first 10 minutes. The Bandits created separation in the final minutes of the second quarter to take a 59-55 lead into the break, which they built on in the second half. Samuel scored 20 of his 29 points in the first half, remaining a perfect eight-for-eight from the floor. Julius praised his team’s resiliency to play in front of a road crowd, particularly in a game where a banner is raised. “Sitting through the ring ceremony is always difficult. Our guys did a great job of playing together and fighting through some adversity.” Eight players were on the scoresheet for the Bandits, including D’andre Davis who made his Bandits debut. Out of half time, the defence tightened up with the Bandits holding the River Lions to just 14 points in the third quarter. Vancouver ended the final five minutes of the quarter on a 14-6 run. The Bandits pulled away in the latter minutes of the third quarter, highlighted by a four-point play by Miller Kopp, to lead 80-69 heading into the final frame. Kopp finished the game with 18 points and five three pointers made. The Bandits extended the lead to as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter, but once the target score of 110 was set, the River Lions went on a 11-2 run to cut the deficit to 103-94. Julius called his team’s play in target time a “struggle”. “We’ve come in with some big leads and relaxed so we’ve got to work on that,” he said. Vancouver eased off a Niagara comeback as Coquitlam native Dominic Parolin clinched the victory with a game-winning free throw. Parolin, who is in his first professional season, scored a career-high 14 points to go along with seven rebounds and two steals. The River Lions outscored the Bandits 43-40 in bench points, but the main highlight was Jarkel Joiner who scored 17 points in 22 minutes off the bench in only his second game as a Bandit. Vancouver wins its third straight game to improve to 4-1 on the season, the best record in the Western Conference. The Bandits are next in action tomorrow against the undefeated Brampton Honey Badgers (5-0) in the second game of a three game road trip.
The Vancouver Bandits announced Friday that former Brooklyn Nets G League guard Dre Davis II has signed with the club for the remainder of the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. Originally from Indianapolis, IN, Davis began his first professional season with the Brooklyn Nets’ NBA Summer League season before joining the club’s NBA G League affiliate, Long Island Nets, where he averaged 7.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 37 games played. Following the conclusion of the Nets’ season, Davis signed for a brief stint with Venezuelan club Piratas de La Guaira. Davis played his collegiate basketball at Louisville and Seton Hall before finishing his senior season at Ole Miss. During his senior year in 2024-25, he appeared and started in all 34 games for the Rebels while averaging 10.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. Davis will wear number 34 with the Bandits.
The Vancouver Bandits have announced today the following roster updates in advance of its Friday, May 29 away game against the Niagara River Lions at 4:00 p.m. PT: G Tevian Jones has been released from the roster. G Jalen Shirley, G Jack Vandenberg, F Dario Lopez and F Ashton Bain have been placed on the Club’s Practice Roster.
LATEST VIDEO
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Mamba on May 14, 2026.
A message from Vancouver Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius on the 2025 season and thoughts on the CEBL Western Conference Semifinal.
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Calgary Surge on August 16th, 2025.
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Winnipeg Sea Bears on August 3rd, 2025.