Sea Bears sign second player as organization aims to create winning culture

The head coach and general manager of the Winnipeg Sea Bears, the upstart basketball team that will compete in its inaugural season in the Canadian Elite Basketball League later this year, has a strikingly familiar outlook on how he wants his team to look on the court, and in the community.

“It’s not just a basketball team, it’s an entire organization,” Taylor said from Florida on Friday. “You want to build that connection with the community… the organization wants to do everything it can to put players in a position to develop and grow the players on the court and have a great experience off of it.”

If that sounds similar to what the Winnipeg Goldeyes or Winnipeg Blue Bombers have done, you’d be right.

Both of Winnipeg’s long-standing franchises have not only built a culture of winning, but also one that’s family-oriented.

The Sea Bears want to be successful, and doing that means making the city an attractive option in terms of recruitment and for fans to come and support.

“You want to establish that personal relationship with the players,” Taylor said. “You want to keep the environment positive to take on the challenges and have that great team chemistry to really overcome some of those tough times or those tough situations.”

Taylor’s been tasked with a daunting challenge of his own: building a team from the ground up.

After announcing the team’s first signing earlier this month, Winnipegger and 6-foot-11 centre Chad Posthumus, the team revealed its second addition on Friday with the signing of 6-foot-6 power forward Shane Osayande.

The Toronto native spent the past year overseas, plying his trade with Champville in the Lebanese Division A League.

Prior to that, he won a CEBL championship in 2019 alongside Posthumus while both were members of the Saskatchewan Rattlers.

“It’s always an honour and great privilege to play in the CEBL, let alone for a brand new organization,” Osayande said in a statement from the club. “I’m excited to see the province of Manitoba, my teammates and coaching staff, and most importantly all the great fans of the Sea Bears.”

Osayande is no stranger around these parts, playing college ball at the University of Saskatchewan for three seasons in USports, being named a Canada West First Team All-Star and a USports All-Canadian during his three years in school before turning pro.

For Taylor, the signings of Osayande and Posthumus bring not only CEBL experience into the mix but also a championship-winning pedigree.

Taylor was an associate coach with the 2022 CEBL Champion Brampton Honey Badgers, who represented Canada at the FIBA Basketball Champions League Americas.

It just so happens that both Osayande and Posthumus were on the team.

“Winning a championship takes a lot of different traits — character, unselfishness and toughness,” Taylor said. “What I like about Shane… he’s a great guy, a hard worker, he’s got versatility and athleticism and I think he compliments Chad really well in the front court.”

Taylor hopes the chemistry will bode well for the Sea Bears when the season tips off on May 24, but he’s well aware of the challenges expansion teams face.

Last season, the Newfoundland Growlers and the Montreal Alliance entered the league and combined for just 10 wins during the league’s 20-game schedule.

It’s not realistic to think the Sea Bears can enter the league and immediately contend for a championship.

“It’s fun because you can put your own image and likeness on how you want to set it up,” Taylor said. “But (looking at Newfoundland and Montreal) it’s really a challenge to come out in that first year and win. But that’s our goal. We want to come out there and play great basketball and really establish a winning tradition in Winnipeg.”

Taylor was in Winnipeg a couple of weeks ago touring the team’s facilities and player apartments, a chance to snap some photos to use in the recruitment process.

The team is still ironing out its off-court outreach programs in the lead-up to the season, something Taylor said agents have inquired about during recruitment efforts.

“It’s a commitment for guys to play in the summer,” Taylor said. “Some guys have played seasons, others are in different situations. And a lot of guys want to rest or spend time with their families.

“If you’re going to make that commitment, you want to be in a situation where people know it’s quality. They know you’re with good people that are going to look out for you and make a good experience during their stay, a good experience for your career and a good experience as a stepping stone as you continue to develop and grow.

“For me, I’m really excited if these guys say, ‘Hey, I want to come back and play in Winnipeg’ and if the fans are really connected with the Sea Bears and want to support the team. If we do things the right way, and built it the right way, I think people will really fall in love with it.”