Do you like basketball? Are you a hoops aficionado? Can you tell the difference between a
horns set and floppy action? Well, May 27 at 7 p.m. — mark down the date. It’s the Winnipeg
Sea Bears’ inaugural game.
The Sea Bears will play out of Canada Life Centre, becoming the first Canadian Elite
Basketball League (CEBL) team to play in a National Hockey League arena, while also
becoming the CEBL’s 10th team.
Between late May and late July, the Sea Bears will play 10 regular season home games
this year, kicked off by their home opener against the Vancouver Bandits on May 27.
Additionally, two of the Sea Bears’ games will also be broadcast on TSN. The first one will
be against the Bandits on June 6, and the second against the Saskatchewan Rattlers on
July 11.
The colours the Sea Bears will rock are teal, black and white, while the team sports a
titular Sea Bear as its logo.
Moreover, the team’s name might confuse some. “What exactly is a Sea Bear?” you may
find yourself asking.
Well, a “Sea Bear” is simply a polar bear. And the name was chosen because the Latin for
polar bear, Ursus maritimus, translates to “sea bear.”
Furthermore, Manitoba also boasts a certain affinity for polar bears, ranging from its
Assiniboine Park Zoo attractions to the Churchill Wild polar bear tours, to the significance
polar bears play in Manitoba’s Indigenous peoples’ heritage.
Further, former dean of the University of Manitoba’s faculty of law David Asper was a big
driver in getting the Bears to Winnipeg, becoming the Sea Bears’ inaugural owner.
Accordingly, Mike Morreale, the commissioner of the CEBL, had apparently already been
looking to expand to Manitoba since the conception of the CEBL way back in 2017, but was
waiting until a qualified leader like Asper put themself forward.
The Sea Bears will be led by head coach and general manager Mike Taylor, who has
hired this past December.
As of publication, the Sea Bears currently have four players on their roster.
The team’s first ever signing was local Winnipegger Chad Posthumus, who, despite his
surname, stands at a larger-than-life six-foot-eleven.
Posthumus went to high school at River East Collegiate where he averaged 39 points per
game as a senior, played National Conference Athletic Association basketball for Morehead
State University and had a stint with the National Basketball Association’s Chicago Bulls’
Summer League team in 2014.
Most recently, Posthumus played for the Ottawa BlackJacks in the CEBL.
The Sea Bears have also signed six-foot-seven forward Shane Osayande, six-foot-four
guard Michael Okafor and six-foot-four guard Glen Yang.
Osayande is a former University of Saskatchewan Huskie, Okafor is a former Lakehead
University Thunderwolf and Lang is a former Mount Royal University Cougar, meaning all four of the Sea Bears’ players have played basketball in Canada at some point in their
careers.
While four players is certainly not enough to play, the Sea Bears will tentatively name their
full roster by the start of their training camp on May 19. Until then, expect more signings.
The Sea Bears’ home opener is scheduled for May 27 at 7 p.m. at Canada Life Centre.
