BRAMPTON – Everybody loves to support the home team, and now there is more to love. Brampton is getting its very own professional basketball team—the Brampton Honey Badgers.
The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) team will be leaving their current home in Hamilton. The move is due to Hamilton’s arena — the FirstOntario Centre — closing during the 2024 and 2025 CEBL seasons for renovations.
The Honey Badgers are being permanently relocated to Brampton in time to play in the 2023 season. The Badgers won their first CEBL championship against the Scarborough Shooting Stars in August of this year.
The Honey Badgers will make their Brampton debut soon, opening the 2023 season at Brampton’s CAA Centre, which seats 5,000.
Brampton Honey Badgers: Officials React to the News
The Honey Badgers are one of six teams that were created during the founding of the CEBL in 2018. While the team has always called Hamilton home, organization officials have expressed their excitement about the move.
“We couldn’t be more excited than to be bringing world-class professional basketball to Brampton, and to be able to relocate one of our most successful franchises to a city that has produced several NBA players and elite international stars is a big win for our league, for sports fans in Brampton, and for people across Canada who share our passion for basketball,” said Mike Morreale, Commissioner and Co-Founder of the CEBL, adding that officials are excited to bring the Honey Badgers closer to the CEBL’s Mississauga, Toronto, and Scarborough franchises.
While Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown has voiced his support for the change.
“Brampton continues to establish itself as a hub of talent for sports and recreation, locally, nationally and on the world stage. We look forward to welcoming the Brampton Honey Badgers to our community and supporting and cheering them on this coming year!” Brown shared.
The Honey Badgers: Brampton Reacts
Many people are excited to see another CEBL team land a little closer to Toronto.
“Welcome to Brampton. Canada’s Athlete Capital of the world. Looking forward to watching y’all play!!” said one excited fan.
“Brampton gets a basketball team in the CEBL! After the beast folded, I didn’t think we’d have another protein again with Brampton on the chest, so this is welcome news! Ready to rock all the honey badgers merchandise and get to those games!” Commented Tej Sahota.
“This is good news for Brampton, which should be a hotbed for basketball,” a fan posted.
“Brampton needs a team in the NBA,” someone else suggested.
“This is AWESOME. My hometown. Unreal. Makes perfect sense too, the CEBL is some of the most exciting basketball you will see. Cannot wait for next season,” another wrote.
While others hope that the team eventually returns to Hamilton.
“if ur going to move the hamilton honey badgers to Brampton CHANGE the name
then bring the old team name back when hamilton can have an arena again,” one person tweeted out.
And some feel this was the wrong decision altogether.
“Pretty disappointed in your decision to take the Honey Badgers franchise away from Hamilton. When the Tiger Cats were getting a new stadium built, did the CFL move the team??? Nope! You should have looked at playing at McMaster or close to Hamilton,” posted one fan.
“This sucks man. I live in Brantford & I’ve been going out of my way to support the CEBL because of what it can do for Canadian basketball. I get my friends to come to games, we watch them win a chip & now they are gone! Mike Morreale are there plans for a new team in SW Ont?” asked another.
How do you feel about the relocation of the CEBL team? Will you be checking out the Brampton Honey Badgers? Let us know in the comments!
