Ranking Every Current CEBL Jersey: Part III
In a league with just ten teams, the Canadian Elite Basketball League possess some incredible jerseys. As someone who takes an interest in sports jerseys, and owns too many to count, I thought I would give my take on every current jersey in the CEBL and rank them 35 to one.
The following list is my personal opinion and by no means do I claim I am more right than anyone else. If you disagree with any of my rankings, please let me know in the comment section below!
The top 10 features a collection of incredible jerseys making it extremely difficult to decide the placement of each. I want to re-iterate that out of all 35 jerseys in this league, I actually like most of them. #17 could easily be #8 and #2 could be #20 in some people’s eyes but this is at least how I have it! Without further ado, here is my top 10 current jerseys in the CEBL.
10. Vancouver Bandits “Terry Fox Tribute”
This jersey just makes me smile. Terry Fox is one of the greatest Canadian athletes ever and some even argue the greatest Canadian ever. Many Canadians probably remember participating in their school’s “Terry Fox Run” and trying to mimic his running motion in tribute to his Marathon of Hope.
I remember reading his biography as a middle school and learning about his early days as a member of Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) JV basketball team before his life-altering diagnosis. Born in Winnipeg but then moved to British Columbia, Fox was unable to reach either of his home provinces during his inspiring journey. I am glad that the Bandits have made a jersey in his honour.
The jersey itself looks fantastic. The isolated shot of Terry Fox wearing his white Marathon of Hope is iconic. On the shoulder are the names of all the cities, communities and parks from St. John’s to Thunder Bay that Fox passed through during his run. The vertical stripes on the sides replicate his SFU jersey from 1977. On the back, a red line shows his path taken from Newfoundland to Ontario before his journey was cut short. Lastly, the bottom left reads a quote shared by Fox after learning his cancer had spread to his lungs: “Dreams are made possible if you try".”
Some incredible work here by the Bandits. Fans can purchase this jersey (I think I might have to) with proceeds going to the Terry Fox Foundation. Read more about this jersey here.
9. Scarborough Shooting Stars “Galaxy”
I don’t know if the Shooting Stars actually call this jersey the “Galaxy” jersey but that’s what I’m calling it. I’m a big fan of jerseys that don’t just have a solid colour as a base but instead use the entire uniform to represent the team.
The “Shooting Stars” team name can sound pretty cartoonish to some but when you pair the name with this jersey, it just fits.
8. Calgary Surge Black
This jersey is the only CEBL jersey I own myself and I think it is beautiful. Obviously, it's reminiscent of the 90’s Chicago Bulls alternate jersey but with ‘Surge” replacing the NBA team. In Calgary, it’s hard to go wrong with red and black. This uniform looks the best when worn alongside the contrasting yellow of the Edmonton Stingers.
This jersey actually features real pinstripes and not just thin vertical lines like the other team’s jerseys. Surge President and Vice-Chairman Jason Riberio told me that the original renderings from designers did not have pinstripes and he made sure that specific detail was changed for the final proof. I have to applaud the attention to precision for this particular uniform and want to give a special shoutout to Jason for making sure I got a fashion-forward experience while working for the Surge.
7. Vancouver Bandits Indigenous Heritage
The Bandits were in need of an orange jersey as an alternate. They also used the opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the Indigenous community. They executed the plan to perfection.
The logo is given a subtle redesign with elements that represent the Indigenous way of life. A darker shade of orange sublimated along the base of the jersey has designs of the iconic art of the Coast Salish peoples. The uniform is designed by Kwantlen First Nation artist Jeff Dickson.
6. Ottawa Blackjacks Black
The East doesn’t get as much love as some may think it should but I think Ottawa Blackjacks represents the conference very well. I favour this jersey over the white version because it gives off a bit of a spooky vibe. I don’t know if that’s what Ottawa intended when they released these but it helps when your mascot is not as intimidating as some others.
5. Calgary Surge White
Sports teams will often favour their coloured jersey over their white one because the white doesn’t have the team’s colour as a base to capture the eye. That’s not a problem with this Surge jersey.
Calgary uses the 3-D version of the logo to give the extra “pop”. Its large size is crucial to what makes this a great jersey. I love how the players’ number fits above the head into the swoop of the wing. Lastly, the Peace Bridge design ties in with the city the jersey represents to showcase a now-beloved landmark of Calgary.
4. Saskatchewan Rattlers “TRC Star Blanket”
If I came out with these rankings last season, this uniform would rank number one overall. It’s fallen to four because the Rattlers outdid themselves along with a few other snazzy numbers.
The jersey features the word Snake written in Cree across the chest with a Starblanket emblem below. A Starblanket is a significant symbol in the Cree Nation and is often given as a gift as a sign of honour and celebration. The Rattlers created a beautiful depiction of the iconic symbol, using their green and wheat colours and using black as a base.
The jersey was designed by a former Rattlers employee, Tristan Amyotte. Amyotte is a strong leader in his community and has brought his love of basketball and his heritage together. Along with designing the TRC Starblanket jersey, Amyotte founded his own basketball lifestyle brand called Nisto Ball. He’s got some pretty incredible-looking pieces on his website.
Proceeds of the jersey support Residential School Survivors with guidance from Saskatoon Survivor Circle.
3. Vancouver Bandits Black
I know this ranking might shock some people but I love this Bandits jersey. It’s the highest-ranked non-special jersey on this list. The orange and black look perfect together. The staggered pattern on the side is a simple design but I think it looks great. The orange piping gives an asymmetrical frame to emphasize both the team wordmark and the Bandit logo.
2. Saskatchewan Rattlers “Land of the Living Skies”
This jersey is probably the best thing to come out of Saskatchewan since Gordie Howe.
The province is known as the “Land of the Living Skies” because of the huge, open skies that shimmer with the stars of the Milky Way, burn orange and pink sunsets and sometimes display the marvellous Aurora Borealis.
The Rattlers incorporated the multicoloured natural wonder with a retro gradient design and a Snake Pit-like typeface of their name. Absolutely stunning. Wouldn’t it be neat if the Rattlers wore this and Scarborough wore their Galaxy jerseys for a game? They could call it the “Battle of the Skies.”
1. Vancouver Bandits South Asian Heritage
The Bandits simply do not miss.
Vancouver introduced a special South Asian Heritage jersey this season, celebrating a community that loves basketball in the lower mainland. It is designed by artist Sandeep Johal.
Much like their Indigenous jersey, the Bandit logo gets tweaked to feature symbols that represent the South Asian culture. They swap out their black base for navy and the orange accents for a vibrant pink.
The design on the side also gets a South Asian spin on it as well. The Phulkari pattern honours folk embroidery traditions that are passed down and inherited by the women of Punjab in India and Pakistan.
I love the colour combination and how the Bandits combined their existing branding with an artist’s cultural elements. 10/10.
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Great series. Love the Surge white with the peace bridge down the side but Bandits blacks are the best in the league IMO.