Vancouver Bandits Sign NBA G League and Overseas Veteran Stefan Jankovic

LANGLEY, B.C., May 2, 2023 – The Vancouver Bandits announced Tuesday that the club has signed 6-foot-11 centre Stefan Jankovic ahead of the club’s upcoming Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season at Langley Events Centre (LEC). 

Hailing from Mississauga, Ont., Jankovic brings a versatile skillset to the Bandits through his ability to stretch the defence as a shooter, rebound and run the floor. Jankovic’s impressive career to date has seen the native of Belgrade, Serbia, play in several of the world’s first division professional leagues and tournaments; including the EuroLeague and EuroCup.

Jankovic has previously played in North America as a member of the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic’s NBA Summer League rosters in 2016 and 2017, respectively; as well as various NBA G League teams, such as the Erie BayHawks (2016-17), Sioux Falls Skyforce (2016-17) and Capital City Go-Go (2019-20).

The most recent stop of Jankovic’s extensive pro career was alongside Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius as former personnel of the Formosa Dreamers during the 2021-22 P.League+ season. Over 12 games played with the Dreamers, Jankovic averaged 25.9 minutes, 18.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. 

“I am really looking forward to making my return to the west coast. Through playing college ball at Hawaii and having that proximity to British Columbia, I have heard nothing but good things about the basketball culture in the Vancouver area. I am ready to get to work with our roster, staff and to be part of a special season alongside an awesome Bandits fanbase,” Jankovic said.

Jankovic played four years of NCAA Division I basketball split between the University of Missouri (2012-14) and Hawaii (2014-16). During his college tenure, Jankvoic averaged 10.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game on 50.7 per cent shooting from field goal range. His most impressive season arrived in his final year at Hawaii when he was named Big West Conference player of the year, first-team all-Big West and to the Big West all-tournament team.

Jankovic’s efforts helped lead the Rainbow Warriors to their most recent NCAA Tournament appearance in 2016. He led the conference in field goal percentage (54.3%), free throws (139), player efficiency rating (28.0) and defensive rating (91.4).

“Stef (Stefan) is a special talent. It is tough to find players with Stef's size, skill and IQ. Stef is also an awesome teammate with big time leadership skills. Stef and I have been to battle together overseas and I can't wait to get back to work with him here in BC,” Julius said.

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 the Bandits 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.

Single game tickets for the highly anticipated fifth season of Bandits Basketball are available for purchase at this link. Season tickets are available for purchase and can be accessed 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.