Vancouver Bandits Named Franchise of the Year, Awarded Three Accolades at Annual CEBL Business Awards

Bandits Staff • October 30, 2024

LANGLEY, BC, Oct. 30, 2024 –  The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Wednesday that the Vancouver Bandits have been named Franchise of the Year as part of the CEBL’s annual Business Awards.


The yearly proceedings consist of four awards given in recognition of accomplishments at both the

team and executive levels. In addition to winning CEBL Franchise of the Year, the Bandits were also recognized as recipients in two other categories; Digital Excellence and Community Champion. 


Overall, the Bandits officially won three of the four annual CEBL Business Awards.


“We are honoured to be recognized by the CEBL for these three awards of distinction. Each award is  a product of the hard work of our front office, as well as the supportive and collaborative relationships that we have built with our partners,” said Bandits team president Dylan Kular. 


“We truly believe that our fans across British Columbia and beyond are some of the most passionate in all of professional sports and we look forward to elevating our digital footprint, increasing our community outreach and demonstrating to returning and prospective players that we are a leading destination for elite talent in the CEBL.”


The criteria for each award are as follows: 


Franchise of the Year

Awarded to the franchise that best represents the values of the CEBL through good internal governance, engagement in the community, commitment to innovation, success on the basketball court and with revenue generation, demonstration of a long-term vision for sustainable business growth, and promotion of Canadian basketball.


The Vancouver Bandits experienced tremendous success both on and off the court in 2024.

In addition to winning three 2024 CEBL Business Awards (Digital Excellence, Community Champion,

Franchise of the Year), the club produced the league’s MVP (Tazé Moore), Canadian Player of the Year (Koby McEwen) and Coach of the Year (Kyle Julius) at the 2024 CEBL Awards, while earning a berth in the CEBL Championship Final for the second time in franchise history.


The Bandits registered their best regular season record ever with a 14-6 finish, securing first place overall and the top seed in the CEBL Playoffs for the first time. Vancouver went near-perfect at home (9-1) and posted a league-best plus-177 overall point differential, almost 50 points better than the next closest team.


Digital Excellence Award

Awarded to the franchise that best delivers graphic and video content that demonstrates excellence in quality of presentation and appeal, creativity and innovation, and overall consistency, while driving interactive engagement with designated targeted audiences that show a measurable impact for followers, partners, and for the franchise’s business and brand awareness. Voted 40% by quantifiable measures in-season from May 1 to August 31 and 60% by vote.


Delivering a consistent and engaging campaign throughout the 2024 CEBL season, the Vancouver Bandits finished third overall in quantifiable digital metrics considered for the award and sustained substantial growth across their digital platforms this summer. The Bandits amassed a league-best 8.5+ million social media impressions, finished second among CEBL clubs in newsletter subscription growth (36.07%), third in social media follower growth (14.38%), and had the third-most new CEBL+ subscriptions (preferred team upon registration). In addition, the Bandits continue to lead the way on TikTok with the highest followership, reach, engagement and overall growth of all CEBL teams.


Community Champion

Awarded to the franchise that has demonstrated a dedication to and understanding of local communities through notable, creative and sustainable outreach that prioritizes the CEBL values of innovation, inclusion, diversity, and meaningful experiences for fans and others.


In 2024, the Vancouver Bandits implemented and refined numerous community programs and initiatives that have made and continue to make a significant impact, none more notable than the club’s special edition jersey launch featuring iconic imagery of Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope. Proceeds from all jersey sales are donated to the Terry Fox Foundation in support of cancer research across Canada.


The Bandits also launched the Inspiring Bandits Award, a community-driven program that provides scholarships and ongoing mentorship to graduating high school girls and boys student-athletes competing at the BC School Sports Basketball Provincial Championships. The club also facilitated more than 50 middle or secondary school visits featuring free instructional training from Bandits head coach and general manager, Kyle Julius, often with both the school’s boys and girls basketball teams.


In addition, the club helped refurbish the Pitt Meadows Recreation Centre court in honour of RCMP

Constable Rick O’Brien, hosted their third annual BC Basketball Festival at Langley Events Centre, held three cultural heritage theme games (Filipino Heritage Game, South Asian Heritage Game, Indigenous Celebration Game) all ranking in the top five of highest attended Bandits games in 2024, and became the first CEBL team to launch a South Asian Heritage jersey.


The Bandits’ seventh CEBL season will tip-off in May 2025. A full season schedule is expected to be announced in the coming months.


Featuring newly added Courtside Club seating options and a revamped seating bowl configuration, season tickets for the Vancouver Bandits’ 2025 season are on sale now at this link.


More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.


Fans interested in learning more are kindly invited to subscribe to Bandits Insider for updates or contact the Bandits at 604-455-8881 or tickets@thebandits.ca.

LATEST NEWS

Roster Update: Thursday, June 18 at Winnipeg

By Bandits Staff • June 18, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits have announced today the following roster updates in advance of its Thursday, June 18 away game against the Winnipeg Sea Bears at 5:00 p.m. PT: G Shamar Givance has been added to Club's active roster and will be available for tonight's game. F Tyrese Samuel has been placed on the Club's reserve roster in order for him to participate in potential NBA team workouts; he will return to the club at the conclusion of his commitments.

Bandits Fall to Scarborough in Down-to-the-wire Thriller

By Rois Chand • June 16, 2026
Mitchell Creek’s season debut didn’t disappoint. The reigning Canadian Elite Basketball League Most Valuable Player poured in 29 points, seven rebounds and four assists as a late game comeback by the Vancouver Bandits fell short. “I thought (Creek) was awesome tonight, as he always is,” said Bandits head coach Kyle Julius. The Scarborough Shooting Stars defeated the Vancouver Bandits 108-105 in dramatic fashion on Monday Night. The Shooting Stars led by as many as 17 points in the third quarter, which eventually turned into a one point deficit, led by Creek. However, the comeback proved to be too much for the Bandits as they fell in the final moments of the fourth quarter. “I was disappointed with our third quarter. It was like an implosion,” said Julius. In the opening quarter, back-and-forth action followed, with neither team gaining too large of an edge. The Shooting Stars led 24-23 after the first quarter. This contest featured a star-studded cast of players as both teams boast the best records in their conferences. The Bandits entered action with a 7-2 record, while the Shooting Stars were 7-1. Countless lead changes ensued, yet Scarborough’s lead jumped out to 65-61 by halftime. They continued the pressure as the lead grew to double digits in the third quarter, headlined by Myles Powell’s 33 points. Julius thought his team “lost their cool” and acted “immature” as the Shooting Stars took the lead. Jaelen House scored 22 points on seven-for-nine field goal shooting, while Miller Kopp followed with 20 points, five three pointers made and three steals. Jarkel Joiner had 17 points in 26 minutes. Despite the loss, Julius praised the versatility and depth of his team, noting the Bandits’ adversity through injuries. “I’m proud of where we are,” he said. The Bandits were without reigning Canadian Player of the Year Tyrese Samuel and Dre Davis, allowing Dominic Parolin into the starting lineup. Parolin finished with eight points and eight rebounds. Next, the Bandits will travel to Winnipeg for a matchup with the Sea Bears on Thursday before playing the Brampton Honey Badgers at home on Saturday.

CEBL MVP Mitch Creek Re-Signs With Vancouver Bandits

By Bandits Staff • June 14, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits announced Sunday that the reigning Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) Most Valuable Player Mitch Creek has re-signed with the club and will suit up on Monday, June 15 against the Scarborough Shooting Stars. The 6-foot-5 forward and fan favourite returns to the Bandits after a stellar 2025 campaign in which he was named Most Valuable Player and an All-CEBL First Team Selection. Creek had one of the most statistically productive stretches of his career during the 2025 CEBL season. Starting in all 20 regular season games, he averaged a team-high 24.4 points per game along with 6.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 34.4 minutes.Creek made his CEBL debut during the 2024 season and currently ranks second on the Bandits’ all-time leading scorers list (643 points). Creek appeared in five NBA regular season games during the 2018-19 season, splitting time between the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves averaging 4.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game on 50 per cent shooting from the field across both clubs. A veteran of 15 professional seasons, Creek was a mainstay and all-star in his home country’s National Basketball League (NBL), logging 338 games and served as captain for both the Adelaide 36ers and South East Melbourne Phoenix. Most recently, Creek competed for Romanian club U-BT Cluj-Napoca during the 2025-26 season where he captained the team to a Romanian League championship and received All-EuroCup Second Team honours. A native of Horsham, Australia, Creek is a major basketball figure in his home country and has been instrumental to the success of the national team, known as the Boomers, and was recently named to Australia’s roster for the upcoming 2027 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers taking place in July. Creek will step away from the Bandits’ roster later this month to join the Australian national team in advance of its FIBA World Cup Qualifier games on July 3 and 6 against Guam and the Philippines, respectively. He will rejoin the Bandits at the conclusion of his international duties. Bandits Single Game Tickets and additional 2026 ticket options can be purchased here . All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+, the CEBL Mobile app, the CBC Gem app and the CBC Sports YouTube channel. Marquee games will air nationally on CBC TV. More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.

Bandits Victorious Over BlackJacks on Record Scoring Night

By Gary Ahuja • June 14, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits led nearly from start to finish, avenging an earlier loss with a 104-95 victory over the Ottawa BlackJacks. The teams met on Saturday night on Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre, with the Bandits improving to 7-2 atop the Canadian Elite Basketball League's Western Conference. The BlackJacks fell to 4-5, dropping into a tie for third place in the Eastern Conference. “The way they beat us was pretty evident and obvious,” said Vancouver Bandits coach Kyle Julius of the earlier meeting on June 2. “So, I thought we did a great job – for the most part – correcting what hurt us, so that was nice to see.” “I think there was probably a little more urgency defensively,” he explained. The Bandits led for all but 29 seconds of the game, thanks in large part to a 30-point opening quarter. From there, however, the offence struggled to maintain the same rhythm. “Fatigue. We just didn’t have our rotation,” Julius said. “We were shorthanded, and I wasn’t really surprised with the ebb and flow and the dips we had. “Even D’Andre Davis – who is going to be a very good player for us – but if you look at his ankle, it’s still swollen, so he’s out there hobbling around.” The offence was powered by Jarkel Joiner, who had 37 points – a franchise record – seven assists and four rebounds. “The coaches had a great game plan, and we executed it,” Joiner said. “We locked in, we didn’t take the game for granted.” Joiner had a larger role in the game, especially with point guard and leading scorer Jaelen House sidelined. “Honestly, it’s hard without him. He makes the game so much easier with his quickness, how fast he is, how explosive he is, how he sees the game,” Joiner admitted. “But coach needed me to step up tonight, and (Duane Notice) helped with the point guard role, and everybody stepped up.” Miller Kopp added 15 points and eight rebounds, Mychal Mulder finished with 13 and Tyrese Samuel chipped in 10 points and eight boards. Dominic Parolin came off the bench to finish with a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds, giving Vancouver five scorers in double figures. Ottawa was led by Javonte Smart’s 29 points with Matthew Cleveland and Justin Harmon both adding 19. "They play hard. They have respect for the game and force you into a lot of contested shots, so for us, we have to continue to fight for great shots," said BlackJacks coach Justin Mazzulla. “We have to continue to play together and have our energy not be impacted by whether the ball goes in or not.”  Up next, the Bandits return to Envision Financial Court on June 15 to host the Eastern Conference-leading Scarborough Shooting Stars (7-1). Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.

LATEST VIDEO

Full Game Highlights | Bandits at Saskatoon, 05/14/2026

By Bandits Staff • May 15, 2026
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Mamba on May 14, 2026.

A Message from Vancouver Bandits head coach Kyle Julius

By Bandits Staff • August 18, 2025
A message from Vancouver Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius on the 2025 season and thoughts on the CEBL Western Conference Semifinal.

Full Game Highlights | Bandits vs. Calgary Surge (08/16/2025)

By Bandits Staff • August 16, 2025
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Calgary Surge on August 16th, 2025.

Full Game Highlights | Bandits vs. Winnipeg Sea Bears (08/03/2024)

By Bandits Staff • August 4, 2025
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Winnipeg Sea Bears on August 3rd, 2025.