Calgary Surge Sign Kadeem Allen, 6’3” Guard From Wilmington, North Carolina.
Calgary, AB – The Calgary Surge have signed six-foot-three guard Kadeem Allen for their 2023 inaugural season, the team announced Friday.
Allen was drafted 53rd overall in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics. He played a total of 47 National Basketball Association (NBA) games with the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks. He also played professionally in the NBA G-League, in France and in Israel where he averaged 10.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 26.5 minutes in 220 games played.
“Kadeem Allen is an experienced veteran who has played at the highest level. He has played in 47 NBA games and has had a great basketball career. We expect Kadeem to come in and be a leader,” said General Manager, Shane James. “He will be relied upon to be a playmaker but also to use his elite skill set to score the ball. He is a tenacious on-ball defender which is important to us because we have built a culture that is very defense-minded.”
The Wilmington native spent the 2022-23 season playing for Hapoel Haifa in the Israeli Basketball Premier League where he averaged 13.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 30.1 minutes in 29 games played. During this past season, he achieved a career-high of 26 points.
“I am happy and grateful to be here. Let’s get to work,” said Allen.
Prior to his time in Israel, he averaged 9.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 21.9 minutes in 19 games played for the New York Knicks. He also attained an NBA career-high of 25 points during his time in New York.
About the Calgary Surge:
The Calgary franchise originated as the Guelph Nighthawks in 2018, one of the six founding members of the CEBL. The organization was relocated from the league’s smallest market to Calgary in August 2022 as part of the growing league's business strategy to have teams in Canada’s largest metropolitan areas. Chairman Usman Tahir Jutt and Vice-Chairman and President Jason Ribeiro saw an opportunity to bridge Calgary’s diverse communities together through sport and entertainment and to create a sense of belonging. For more information, visit www.calgarysurge.ca.
About the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL):
A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 71 percent of its roster being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, top NCAA programs, and USPORTS. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps during October. The CEBL season runs from May to August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
Media Contact:
Hilary Fontus
Manager, Communications
Calgary Surge
514-918-7826