If you are looking for something that is indoors and out of the potential trending weather hazard B.C.’s summers have been known for, going to see a Fraser Valley Bandits game at the Langley Events Center (LEC) is a perfect choice. The Bandits play a fast and impactful style of basketball that uses the depth of their roster to make smart but still exciting maneuvers and stylish baskets. The LEC is a great size to host the Fraser Valley’s pro basketball team, with a smaller arena that the tight-knit B-ball community easily fills without feeling overwhelmed by the scope and length of the commute in and out of Vancouver. It’s an easy and digestible 42-minute drive from Chilliwack and the fight for good parking spots is avoidable, making the afternoon and night out more about the sport and the journey completely worthwhile.
The Bandits’ talented roster of local Canadian and international players play intense, rushing coast-to-coast on fast breaks, but also know how to slow down and pass the ball to create perfect opportunities for mid and long-range shots. Murphy Burnatowski has been one of the players that have stood out to be reliable and great leaders on and off the court. Dropping 27 points in the first home game against the Saskatchewan Rattlers on June 4, and 18 against the Hamilton Honey Badgers on June 7, Burnatowski has been on fire the last two home games, leading the Bandits in scoring with 15.2 points per game (PPG).
Alongside Burnatowski as scoring leaders are Alex Campbell and Shane Gibson, both with 13 PPG so far this season. Thomas Kennedy has been the team’s most consistent defensive player and a dominant inside-the-arc offensive weapon, averaging 7.8 rebounds a game while shooting 71 per cent field goals from mid-range and being able to explode to the rim from outside and dunk over opponents. The strong players and smart coaching from the Bandits have them sitting 4th in the CEBL standings with a 3-2 record.
One of the best parts about the Bandits is the community they are building around the sport. Local players have been joining coaching sessions at LEAD basketball academy’s practices and games. The Bandits hosted 13 schools from across the Fraser Valley for a sold-out stadium on the team’s School Day Game on June 7. The upcoming game on June 18 marks the send-off for the BC Basketball Festival the Bandits are putting on, a weekend-long event that will feature a 3×3 tournament, activities across multiple boys’ and girls’ divisions, and more.
I highly recommend catching a Bandits home game on June 18 and 24, and other games throughout the summer. With the concession by Triple O’s, the beers provided by the local Ravens Brewing, and the seats filled with orange shirts and jerseys like a Lions game, the LEC feels like what a home stadium should be in B.C. Pro basketball is amazing to experience with a roaring crowd supporting the home team, complete with a 45-minute wait to slowly get out of the crowded parking lot and relive the highlights of the game.
Teryn Midzain is an English Major with ambitious goals to write movies and a full-time nerd, whose personality and eccentrics run on high-octane like the cars he loves. More importantly, Teryn loves sports [Formula One], and doesn’t care who knows. When not creating and running deadly schemes in his D&D sessions, Teryn tries to reach the core of what makes the romantic and dramatic World of Sports, the characters and people that make the events so spectacular.
