Winnipeg Sea Bears and Basketball Manitoba are purchasing a new court and retiring the historic court

May 7, 2024 – Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL)
Winnipeg Sea Bears News Release

Winnipeg Sea Bears field
(Winnipeg fur seals)

WINNIPEG – Basketball Manitoba and the Winnipeg Sea Bears welcome a new world-class court to Manitoba.

With the professional team in Winnipeg and the need for a premier basketball court in Manitoba greater than ever, Basketball Manitoba and the Winnipeg Sea Bears have teamed up to purchase a new portable hardwood basketball court for use well into the future.

The new field comes from the recent NCAA Women’s Final Four, held in Cleveland, OH, where it was used for fan interactions during the event. Manufactured by Connor Sports, the court is identical to the floors used by NBA teams (Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets) during this year’s NCAA March Madness, and used during the recent FIBA ​​World Cup which was held last summer. the playing style used during this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris. It is currently being renamed and clad to meet the needs of the Sea Bears and other international competitions.

The track will replace the team’s first seasonal surface at the Canada Life Center this summer.

The previous surface will soon be retired after 60 years of serving as the foundation for the province’s basketball heritage, with the province’s and the world’s most elite athletes traversing the surface and serving as the focus of historic events.

Originally built in 1955, this legendary court moved to Manitoba in 1966 from its original location at Moorehead State University in North Dakota. Its journey marked the beginning of an era that would witness countless historic moments and feature some of the sport’s most renowned figures.

One of the court’s crowning moments came during the 1967 Pan Am Games, when it took center stage at the old Winnipeg Arena. Among the notable players to take to the hardwood was Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame member Fred Ingaldson, along with Team USA basketball legends Wes Unseld and Jo Jo White.

The court became synonymous with prestigious events such as the Golden Boy Classic, which inaugurated its presence at the Winnipeg Arena in 1970. In 1971, the court found a new home at the Winnipeg Convention Centre, renamed the Wesmen Classic. Notable local players, including Ken Opalko, Belaineh DeGuefe, Joe Ogoms, Martin Riley, Ross Wedlake, Bob Town, Rick Watts and Randy Kusano, and countless other local players made basketball history on the court.

In 1983, the court welcomed the NBA, hosting an exhibition game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Denver Nuggets. Icons of the game, such as Julius “Dr. J” Erving and Alex English, graced the field and contributed to its illustrious history.

The court’s significance grew over time, as it played a crucial role during the 1999 Pan Am Games, again held at the Winnipeg Arena. Notable players included Todd MacCulloch and Keith Vassell, members of the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame, as well as Manu Ginóbili of the future San Antonio Spurs and Doug Smith of the Toronto Raptors.

The court also became a regular host for NBA exhibition games in the 1990s and 2000s. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors, among others, showed off their talents with players like Dominique Wilkins, Chris Mullin and Tim Hardaway.

In a historic basketball moment in 1995, the court witnessed the inaugural “Naismith Cup” where the Toronto Raptors faced the Vancouver Grizzlies for the first time ever. Notable players such as Alvin Robertson, Damon Stoudamire, Benoit Benjamin and Bryant “Big Country” Reeves made their mark on the court during this landmark event in Canadian basketball history.

The court’s use extended beyond NBA basketball, serving as the home court for the Winnipeg Thunder (1992–1994) and Winnipeg Cyclone (1995–2001) teams. Notable players like Joey Vickery, Eric Bridgeland and Dan Becker, coached by Tom Nisalke, Henry Bibby and Darryl “Chocolate Thunder” Dawkins, cemented their legacies on the hardwood. The surface served as the inaugural court for the Winnipeg Sea Bears in 2023 and played a role for all three of Winnipeg’s professional basketball teams.

In 1996 and 1997, the court traveled to the Keystone (Westoba) Center in Brandon for the Canada Basketball National Championships and the Canada Games respectively, further cementing its status as a symbol of basketball presence in Manitoba.

Even Hollywood recognized the court’s significance. In 2001, it starred in the ESPN film “A Season on the Brink” along with actors Brian Dennehy and several locals playing roles such as players and referees in the basketball scenes. His final cinematic appearance came in 2022’s “Champions”, with opening scenes filmed at the Canada Life Centre. The court also hosted the Harlem Globetrotters numerous times, further cementing its status as a stage for basketball entertainment in Manitoba.

In 2016, the court was located at the University of Winnipeg’s Axworthy RecPlex football field, hosting the Canada Basketball National Championships, where local talents like Emmanuel Akot and Daniel Sackey and newly signed Sea Bear Mason Bourcier showcased their skills.

The inaugural 2023 Winnipeg Sea Bears season was played on the field at the Canada Life Center in downtown Winnipeg, breaking league records in several games that hit the hardwood.

As the final chapter approaches, the court’s final official event will take place at the Parkland Recreation Complex for the 2024 Manitoba Games in Dauphin, Manitoba, from August 11 to 17.

The new court will help Basketball Manitoba attract other world-class basketball events to the province well into the future. Basketball Manitoba acknowledges and is grateful for the financial support from the Province of Manitoba through the Arts, Culture, and Sport in Community Fund to leverage the purchase of the new court.

While there may continue to be occasional uses of the court in the future, one thing is clear: the legacy of Manitoba’s historic hardwood court will be forever etched in the annals of basketball history.

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