‘This is a dream’: Championship Weekend provides ultimate stage for signature CEBL moments

In a league built on moments, Championship Weekend provides plenty.

Each of the four teams set to compete over the final three games of the 2025 CEBL season come to Winnipeg’s Canada Life with one obvious goal: a championship.

But their routes to the Manitoba capital — and the inner motivation behind the season-long journey — vary from club to club, player to player, coach to coach.

For Victor Raso, the head coach of the defending champions Niagara River Lions, Championship Weekend is a celebration of how far the league has come since its 2019 debut.

“As a young Canadian, this is a dream,” said Raso, the 35-year-old from Hamilton, Ont. “And it is for all of our Canadian guys too. They get to play on TSN at a world-class NHL arena in front of 10,000-plus people. And some of these guys are living at home for the summer and getting to do that. You just can't really compare this thing to anything.”

The top-seeded River Lions will meet the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the East final at 5 p.m. CT / 6 p.m. ET on Friday. The West final, featuring the host Winnipeg Sea Bears against the Calgary Surge, will follow directly after.

In the East, Raso will go up against a fellow Canadian coach in Mike De Giorgio, a familiar opponent not just from the CEBL but on the prep circuit, too.

De Giorgio, the Toronto native, is in his first year as head coach of the Shooting Stars after two years as an assistant and interim coach.

It was Raso, who joined Niagara as coach and general manager in Year 1, who blazed that trail.

“I remember when I took the job, speaking to a U SPORTS coach assistant, I said, ‘I think I'm gonna go do the CEBL stuff.’ He's like, ‘You're an idiot. Pro basketball in Canada’s never worked. Are you sure that's what you wanna do?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I think so,’” Raso, the league’s coaching leader in games and wins, recalled.

“And then now, seven years down the road, [I’ve] coached over 100 FIBA basketball games, shared the table with coaches are way more experienced than me. How better to develop professional coaches?”

And so this moment — Raso vs. De Giorgio, a trip to the Finals on the line — is one that can be cherished by both, even as opponents.

De Giorgio said the opportunity for him is unmatched. He referenced a road trip that pitted the Shooting Stars against top talent in the Western Conference.

“I'm on the plane each time, trying to watch the film from the night before and put our scouting report together for the next day and it's like, for me personally, those are reps you can't replace. You're never gonna get a [league] outside of the NBA that has this high a level of talent,” De Giorgio said.

Still, after rolling through the play-in game and East semi, the Shooting Stars will have their toughest test to date in the River Lions — a rematch of the 2023 conference championship, a battle of the past two champions.

“It's not anyone's personal moment, it's all about the team moment. So if you're playing because you want the team's moment to be great and exciting and everything like that, then those moments are going to come to us,” De Giorgio said.

But, perhaps, no team has a bigger opportunity ahead of it than the Sea Bears.

Thousands of fans are expected to pack the arena for the semifinals — and it’s a safe bet that a great majority of those will be Sea Bears supporters.

“What I like to say to the guys is feed the bear, the bear being Sea Bear Nation. And we feed them with hustle plays, heart, energy, effort. We want them to play relentlessly,” head coach and general manager Mike Taylor said.

If the Sea Bears can get past the Calgary Surge, the arena for Sunday’s final will be rocking.

And whether it’s import Jalen Harris or longtime Canadian CEBLer Alex Campbell, a raucous, one-of-a-kind moment could await someone.

“The CEBL is a fun league. It's a fantastic league. And guys are competitive, trying to do their best, but also very respectful. So you say these moments can be unbelievable. And I'm really proud that we're going to host the Championship Weekend here in Winnipeg with a chance to have some fantastic finishes and game-winning moments,” Taylor said.

“And hopefully they have some Sea Bears involved.”

Still, a Calgary team that already toppled West’s top seed won’t be a walk in the park.

In his first year in the league, ex-NBA head coach Kaleb Canales has the Surge firing on all cylinders.

“For me coming into the league, it's dynamic, ready to explode to the next level. Where it is today, where it's going to be in the next couple of years, I think it's going to be on showcase this weekend,” Canales said.

Indeed, Championship Weekend tends to provide those sparks.

The only question now is who will grab that opportunity and run with it.