Around The Basketball League: 95ers Bring Back Cormier, Port City Power Amped for TBL Debut, Tri-City Tide Go Big
Between teams in Canada and the US announcing signings and tryouts, news around TBL's offseason is heating up.
In a matter of five months, teams from across North America will be gearing up for another long season of exposure and development in The Basketball League. That goes for the action on the court and the news off of it.
Take the Jacksonville 95ers for example. They recently gathered for a series of meetings focused on furthering the brand and reach of the organization. Easier said than done for a TBL team that has previously shown they can be an anchor for the league, if the facilities are available and the fanbase shows their support.
“We want to be a community asset,” TBL President, David Magley, told First Coast News.
“When this court is empty, we want to be in here doing free clinics for kids. We want to be visible. We want to treat our guys like they are humans. We want them to have financial literacy classes. We want to have chaplains to speak to—more for mental health than for faith. But if they need faith, they can do that too. More important is how we can encourage these guys to be the best they can be.”
Dylon Cormier is looking to be the best he can be in ‘25. The second-team all TBL combo is officially set to run it back with Jax.
“Dylon is a dynamic guard who I believe is one of the best guards in this league. He can play both PG and SG effectively and he can score at will,” said head coach, Dwane Joshua.
“I’m looking for him to have a big year with us after his devastating injury right before the playoffs last year.”
Will The Fourth Time Be A Charm In Saint John?
Raise your hand if you remember the Saint John Mill Rats? What about the Riptide? And the Saint John Union? From 2010 to currently speaking, that was the hoops timeline in New Brunswick, Canada, which ranged from some deep three attempts combined with even more airballs unfortunately. But this time in The Basketball League, this time just might be different or at least appears so with the freshly announced, Port City Power who make their TBL debut in March.
"People in Saint John know basketball and they want professional basketball,” owner and president Jamie Dobbelsteyn told CBC, with the Power playing their first six games will take place at TD Station, before closing out the 2025 season at the Lord Beaverbrook Rink.
"With TBL, you're dealing with kids who are really hungry, really want to get to that next level. A lot of them want to go play in Europe and the TBL gives them the opportunity to do that."
The Power wasted no time in making a surge by announcing their first signing by welcoming point guard Anthony Anderson, who was named the “Greatest Player in NBL Canada History” by the coaches, GMs, and owners of the league’s 10-year history.
Thomas Gives Tri-City Someone To Look Up To In TBL
What a month it has been for the new Tri-City Tide and its not over yet. After announcing veteran Rob Spon will lead the team as head coach, the Tide held their first tryout and combine followed by a big offseason signing.
Enter veteran forward Doug Thomas, who will see time on the court and the sidelines. At 6’9, Thomas is someone to look up to thanks to 18 impressive years in basketball and currently serving as a player development coach at Mount Allison University this season.
"Moncton has truly felt like home for me over the last year, and I was eagerly awaiting this opportunity," Thomas said at a community press conference.
"I made a promise to everyone here in Moncton that I would return to play for a professional team, and today, that promise is fulfilled."
Now 41 years old, Thomas brings a wealth of experience around the game having played professionally in the U.S., Philippines, Kuwait, Switzerland, Mexico, Sweden, Venezuela, Japan, Germany, and Canada. Coach Thomas and the Tide can make a splash in TBL this coming season, as Tri-City officially joined the TBL in September and made history as Atlantic Canada's first franchises in The Basketball League with Halifax and Saint John.
Wendell Maxey is the author of Around The Basketball League and has written about professional basketball and sports for 20 years. He’s been featured on NBA.com, ESPN.com, USA Today, FOX Sports, and SLAM Magazine among other publications and media outlets. You can connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn or read through his archive on Linktree.