cebl championship weekend montreal alliance ahmed hill chris smith
:mtl courtside, Sports

The CEBL Championship Weekend in Montreal starts tonight

by Mr. Wavvy

We spoke with Montreal Alliance’s Ahmed Hill and Chris Smith about the season, the team and the tournament.

For the first time in the team’s three-year history, the Montreal Alliance are headed to the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) playoffs. From Aug. 9 to 11, Montreal will host the CEBL Championship Weekend, where both Conference Finals matches and the Finals will take place. As host city, Montreal automatically qualified for the Eastern Conference Finals (despite ending their season with the worst record in the league — 6 wins in 20 games of play).

The league is a fantastic option for Canadian fans missing the NBA during the summer months. Different rules make for a thrilling watch. Instead of four timed quarters, a target score is established near the end of each game, resulting in a game-winning shot to conclude every match. Additionally, 75% of every roster must be made up of Canadian players. Interestingly enough, the Alliance’s three leading scorers, Ahmed Hill, Chris Smith and Jordan Bowden, are all imports with varying levels of NBA experience.

For Ahmed Hill, the team’s top scorer, returning to Montreal for a second year in a row was a no-brainer.

“When I came here, they just welcomed me with open arms, and it felt like home.” At a post-game autograph session to conclude the regular season, Hill estimates that he signed 40 to 50 of his own jerseys, something he could not have fathomed only a few years ago.

“It feels good to have the support of everybody here, wanting you to come back and just wanting to be around you. It’s a great atmosphere here in Montreal, and I love it.”

Chris Smith, who is new to the CEBL, heard the league offered “NBA type offence” and a chance for meaningful competition during the summer months.

“Being in Montreal (makes the Alliance) one of the better teams to play for, as far as outside of the court and whatnot,” exclaims Smith. “We’re playing in this pretty competitive league and it’s only going to get better. Every guy was playing hard as hell every game. I mean, you can’t ask for much more. I actually liked it a lot.” 

Despite only a few months in the city, Smith got the full Montreal experience: café-hopping, outdoor concerts and of course, getting ripped off at a thrift shop. “Shorty tried to get a shirt off for like, $150. She looked me in my eyes and said that shit,” he recalled of an experience at a boutique on St-Laurent.

Former CEBL talent can be seen across the basketball world, including several players in the NBA. The recent Finals included former Guelph Nighthawk A.J. Lawson, an ex-teammate of Hill as a Dallas Mavericks reserve. Three-time CEBL MVP Xavier Moon has spent the last three years on the Los Angeles Clippers. Alliance forward Jordan Bowden missed several games this season to suit up with the Atlanta Hawks for NBA Summer League.

“Don’t think this league is sweet, man,” says Coach Derrick Alston, who, during his own playing career, faced off against all-time greats like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal. “This is a competitive, highly athletic league. Guys are springboarding off this and getting major jobs.”

Aside from Hill and Smith being the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, respectively (Smith led the entire league in rebounding), they also assume key roles off the court. 

“I’m very vocal,” asserts Hill. “I say what I mean, and I can get on guys. They see me put the work in, they’ve seen what I come from. I think leadership comes from the guys wanting you to be the leader, because they see that you’ve been through the fire. We’ve got a young core, and I’m just kind of a guy who has been in the league for the longest.”

While Hill assumes the role of the locker room vet, Smith sees himself as more of a glue guy.

“I just like making folks smile, bro.” Smith says with a grin of his own. “Whether it’s a joke, whether it’s just saying hi, whether somebody needs a hug, whatever it is, I could do it all.”

A six-win season left lots to be desired. Despite this, Alston is hopeful that the Montreal crowd could offer the Alliance a much needed boost during their home court advantage at the Eastern Conference Finals.

“Our fans are wonderful. Man, they come out and they support us every game, every home game, you know, no matter how the season was going, they were here, they were cheering and they were really supportive. We gotta give these fans something, man. They came and paid their money and watched us play even when we weren’t playing very well.”

With one word to describe the Alliance’s 2024 season, Hill goes with “resilience.” It’s a quality the team will take to heart going into Championship Weekend.

“It’s a team full of fighters,” Coach Alston corroborates. “They fight, and they know they have a lot to prove in their careers and for the city.”

Fans can look forward to Championship Weekend events across the Verdun area, including an all-star game, coaching clinic and in-game halftime performances from the likes of Fouki, Shreez and Fefe Dobson.

The CEBL Championship Weekend in Montreal starts tonight

For more on CEBL Championship Weekend in Montreal, please visit the CEBL website. This article was originally published in the Aug. 2024 issue of Cult MTL.

For more Montreal sports coverage, please visit our Sports section.

Posted in :mtl courtside, Sports

by Mr. Wavvy

Contributor
Mr. Wavvy has steadily built a name for himself as one of music journalism’s most illuminated spirits. Whether kissing Mac DeMarco, pondering the meaning of life with Tech N9ne, or performing singalongs with Charli XCX, visitors are always in for a treat when checking out a Mr. Wavvy interview.