Calgary Surge have signed Greg Brown III, a player their GM believes people will come just to see him on the hardcourt.
The six-foot-seven forward was the 43rd overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft and brings 70 games of NBA experience to the team.
The Wednesday morning announcement marks the second straight signing of a former NBA draft pick for the club ahead of its third season. His signing, along with the signing of guard Khyri Thomas on March 24, adds two players with NBA experience to the Surge lineup.
Brown III will join a team made up of physicality, athleticism and shooting, according to Surge GM Shane James.
James called the 23-year-old an NBA-level athlete with off-the-charts athleticism.
“There was a play a couple weeks ago where there was a put-back dunk and he jumped over someone’s head. It was unbelievable, it was Vince Carter-ish,” James said.
“He is going to be the most exciting player in our league,” he said.
James believes that Brown III will be a key piece for the team in their upcoming season.
Brown III is currently playing for the Mexico City Capitanes in the NBA’s GLeague, where he is averaging 16 points per game and shooting 31.7 per cent on 3.3 three-point attempts per game.
In parts of three seasons, Brown III played with the Portland Trail Blazers and Dallas Mavericks organizations.
“It’s exciting to have guys who have NBA experience playing in our league. It elevates the level of play and shows that we can go after and get the best players in the world to play for us in the summer,” James said.
Familiar faces ‘check-in’ to Calgary
The Texas native is set to join his former coach, Kaleb Canales, in Calgary this season.
Canales, who was announced as Surge head coach on Jan. 30, is the first coach with NBA head coaching experience to join the CEBL. He coached Brown III during his time as associate head coach of the Texas Legends.
“(Canales) absolutely loves (Brown III) and has a connection with him, and that was an important piece for us in making this decision to sign Greg,” James said.
Aside from his athleticism, James believes that Brown III’s greatest strengths are his toughness, his scoring and versatility.
“He’s going to be one of our main scorers that we’re going to rely on,” James said.
“We’re also going to have him match up against the other team’s best offensive forwards. He takes pride in his defense, and he wants that challenge every night.”
Skill set aside, Brown III adds a winning mindset to the Surge’s culture.
“The biggest thing for him is he wants to come and win a championship,” James said.
Brown III is set to impact the Surge in big games like June 19, against the Edmonton Stingers, played in Red Deer and on Aug. 10, the final game of the regular season played at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Ahead of their season opener on May 11, the Surge plan on announcing further player signings to their roster.
“One of our focuses this year was to shoot for the stars. Let’s get the best players in the world to play in this league,” James said.
Throughout his tenure as the team’s general manager, James believes that Calgary has been an “easy sell” for players.
“With just under 2 million people, it’s diverse. There’s culture. These players enjoy being in bigger cities that have nice restaurants, places for them to hang out,” he said
“Obviously, Banff is close by. A lot of these guys like to relax and enjoy outdoor activities.”
