Bandits Re-Sign Franchise All-Time Leading Scorer Ward

June 25, 2025

The Bandits franchise leader in points (730) and rebounds (301) returns for a third season with the club

The Vancouver Bandits announced Wednesday that the club has signed its all-time leading scorer and fan favourite, Nick Ward, for the remainder of the 2025 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season.

Entering his third consecutive season with the club, the 6-foot-9 centre set several club records with the Bandits during the 2024 CEBL campaign. Across 39 regular season and playoff appearances, he established himself as the franchise’s leader in both scoring (730 points) and rebounding (301 rebounds).

Ward finished 2024 as a First Team All-CEBL selection, with averages of 16.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 20 regular season games played including 16 starts.

The Gahanna, Ohio product recently finished the 2024-25 overseas basketball season with Portuguese club Sporting CP where he helped lead the club to a semifinal appearance in the LBP playoffs earlier this year. His international basketball career also includes stints in the NBA Summer League (Atlanta Hawks, 2019), NBA G League (College Park Skyhawks, 2019-20), and professional teams in France, Lithuania, Kosovo, Bahrain, Spain, and Turkey.

Prior to turning professional, Ward played three seasons of NCAA DI basketball at Michigan State University from 2016 to 2019. He averaged 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game on 60.5 per cent field goal shooting percentage, which ranks him third all-time among Big Ten Conference men’s basketball players. During the the 2018-19 season, he earned an All-Big Ten third-team selection and played a key role in leading the Spartans to an NCAA Tournament Final Four appearance.

Fans will have their first chance to see “The Warden” in a Bandits uniform this year on Saturday, June 28 at 7 p.m. PT when Vancouver hosts the Saskatchewan Rattlers at Langley Events Centre as part of the club’s second-annual Filipino Celebration Game, presented by Westland Insurance, Guildford Town Centre and Fix Auto.

The evening promises to be a vibrant celebration of Filipino music, fashion, culture, and cuisine, with various in-game entertainment and production activations. Highlights include a pre-game buffet featuring a Filipino-inspired menu, a pre-game traditional dance performance by PhilCAS of BC, and a halftime show by Filipino-Canadian R&B artist Mikey Jose. Tickets are available now at this link.

More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.

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About the Vancouver Bandits:

The Vancouver Bandits are British Columbia’s professional basketball team. As the westernmost club in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the Bandits offer an entertainment experience that combines a fast-paced game day atmosphere with a presentation of some of Canada’s top professional athletes within a world-class venue at Langley Events Centre (LEC).

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Vancouver Bandits Make Impactful Community Visits in the Okanagan

February 12, 2026

The Vancouver Bandits, BC’s professional basketball team in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), are committed to making a positive impact through basketball and growing the game across British Columbia, and this dedication was highlighted this past week in Kelowna and the Okanagan area. Coming off the recent announcement of Kelowna HOOPFEST, a brand-new basketball festival featuring a CEBL neutral-site home game in partnership with the City of Kelowna, Bandits head coach Kyle Julius spent time at five Okanagan-area secondary schools and both of Kelowna’s post-secondary men’s basketball teams, as part of the Vancouver Bandits third-annual Bandits School Tour. Julius and Bandits staff visited Mount Boucherie Secondary School, Immaculata Regional High School, Okanagan Mission Secondary, Rutland Secondary School and Kelowna Secondary, as well as the men’s basketball teams at UBC Okanagan and Okanagan College, providing dedicated and tailored practices along with motivational talks and training materials. Launched in 2023, the Bandits School Tour is supported by the Bandits Community Foundation, Preston Chevrolet and Envision Financial and offers a unique opportunity for student-athletes and volunteer coaches to learn directly from BC’s only professional basketball coach. “What stood out most during our visit was the impact basketball can have when it is rooted in mentorship and connection; it is clear how vibrant the basketball and business ecosystem is in the Okanagan,” said Bandits team president Dylan Kular. “We are thankful to the Okanagan and Kelowna communities for welcoming us so openly, and this is only the beginning. We are committed to being present and intentional in the lead-up to Kelowna HOOPFEST from June 5th to 7th.” In addition to the Bandits School Tour, Julius and members of Bandits staff had the opportunity to connect with various Okanagan business, media and community leaders, including attending the 51st annual Western Canada Tournament at Kelowna Secondary and a Kelowna Rockets hockey game. ###