Vancouver Bandits Sign Former Duke Starter, Stockton Kings Star Guard DJ Steward for the 2023 CEBL Season

LANGLEY, B.C., April 6, 2023 – The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that the club has signed Stockton Kings guard and Duke University alumnus DJ Steward for the club’s upcoming 2023 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season at Langley Events Centre (LEC).

A 6-foot-2 guard from Chicago, Ill., Steward recently completed his second season for the Stockton Kings, the NBA G League affiliate of the Sacramento Kings.

Steward played in 28 games for the Kings and averaged 12 points, 4.1 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game on 45.8 and 40.9 per cent shooting from field goal and three-point range, respectively. 

“I am counting down until my arrival in Vancouver. I can’t wait to play in front of the Bandits’ fanbase and to get to work with my teammates and coaching staff. We are excited to play together and to showcase an elite brand of competitiveness fuelled by intensity on both sides of the basketball,” Steward said.

Prior to Stockton, the 21-year-old guard starred under the tutelage of legendary Basketball Hall of Fame member and five-time NCAA Tournament champion Mike Krzyzewski, who coached Steward during his 2020-21 freshman season at Duke. Steward played at Duke for one season before declaring for the NBA Draft.

In his lone season for the Blue Devils, Steward started 22 of 24 games and averaged 13 points, 2.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals on 42.6 per cent shooting from field goal range. Steward led all Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) freshmen in scoring and was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team for his stellar play.

A graduate of Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, Steward was named Illinois Player of the Year by the Chicago Sun-Times and also earned further recognition when he was announced as a member of the prestigious 2020 McDonald’s All-American roster. A tremendous senior season led Steward to be ranked 25th in ESPN’s annual rankings of the top graduating high school players in the United States.

“DJ is a special young player with a world of potential. He has elite scoring instincts and high-level athleticism. I am really excited about working with DJ and helping him grow and develop this summer,” said Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius.

The Bandits tip-off the 2023 CEBL campaign on Saturday, May 27 when the club takes on the Winnipeg Sea Bears at Canada Life Centre. Fans will have their first chance to watch Steward and company on home soil at 7 p.m. PT on Saturday, June 3 when Vancouver welcomes the Calgary Surge for its first-ever visit to LEC.

Season tickets for the fifth season of Bandits Basketball are available for purchase and can be accessed by clicking here. A full seat map, price chart breakdown, season schedule and a complete list of season ticket holder benefits can be found by clicking here.

A key highlight of Vancouver’s fifth CEBL campaign will be its hosting of Championship Weekend, which takes place between Friday, August 11 and Sunday, August 13. An annual celebration of the highest level of Canadian professional basketball, Championship Weekend features a postseason format that combines three games of playoff basketball as part of a multi-day festival experience designed to celebrate the intersection of arts, culture and sport. 

As hosts of Championship Weekend, the Bandits receive an automatic semifinal berth.

Individuals interested in learning more about tickets for the Vancouver Bandits’ 2023 season are kindly asked to call (604) 455-8881 or email [email protected]. A complete regular season schedule can be found by clicking here. More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.

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).

About the 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 2022 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. 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 through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.