The UBC Thunderbirds are the athletic teams that represent the University of British Columbia. In Canadian intercollegiate competition, the Thunderbirds are the most successful athletic program both regionally in the Canada West Universities Athletic Association, and nationally in U Sports, winning 117 national titles. UBC has won an additional 21 national titles competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics against collegiate competition from the United States and 42 national titles in sports that compete in independent competitions.
Michael Jerome Cooper is an American basketball coach and former player. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers during his entire career in the National Basketball Association, winning five NBA championships with the Lakers during their Showtime era. Regarded as one of the greatest defensive players of his generation, he was an eight-time selection to the NBA All-Defensive Team, including five times on the first team. He was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1987. In 2024, it was announced that Cooper would be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Following his Hall of Fame announcement, it was announced on August 15, 2024 that Cooper would have his No. 21 retired by the Lakers on January 13, 2025.
The Brandon Bobcats are the athletic teams that represent Brandon University in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. Currently, there are six Bobcat teams competing in U Sports as members of the Canada West Universities Athletic Association while the Bobcat soccer teams participate in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference.
Darvin Ham Sr. is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the top assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously served as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA. He played college basketball for the Texas Tech Red Raiders before playing nine seasons in the NBA from 1996 to 2005. He won an NBA championship playing with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. Ham also had a brief international experience in Spain and later in the Philippines, as well as in the NBA Development League in 2007 and 2008. As an assistant coach, he won a second championship in 2021 with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Lloyd Eugene Keady is an American Hall of Fame basketball coach. He is best known for his 25 years serving as the head men's basketball coach at Purdue University in Indiana. In his tenure leading the Boilermakers from 1980 to 2005, he went to the NCAA Tournament seventeen times, twice advancing to the Elite Eight.
Larry Smith is a former American professional basketball player. A 6'8" forward/center from Alcorn State University, Smith spent 13 seasons (1980–1993) in the National Basketball Association (NBA), playing for the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs. Smith, nicknamed "Mr. Mean", received NBA All-Rookie Team Honors in 1981, and would become one of the best rebounders of the 1980s. He had career averages of 9.2 rebounds and 25.9 minutes per game. Smith was affectionally nicknamed and known as "Mr. Mean" throughout his career, especially during his time with the Warriors, due to the stark contrast between him being nice and soft-spoken off the court but always with a serious demeanor and angry scowl on the court while grabbing a rebound. Smith's popularity in Golden State and Houston led to local fan clubs who would attend games wearing hard hats holding up a sign saying "Larry's Local 13". At the end of his career, Smith earned praise from the Houston Rockets coaching staff and fanbase for adequately covering for an injured Hakeem Olajuwon.
Carl Isaac Krauser is an American former professional basketball player who last played for the Quebec Kebs of the National Basketball League of Canada. He was a point guard for the University of Pittsburgh Panthers from 2001 to 2006. Krauser is 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) and weighs 200 pounds (91 kg).
Scott David Burrell is an American basketball coach and former player who is currently the men's basketball head coach at Southern Connecticut State University. He has played internationally and was also a professional baseball player. In 1990, Burrell was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays of MLB. He played in Minor League Baseball during the 1990 and 1991 seasons. After ending his baseball career, he was drafted in 1993 by the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA. He was later traded to the Golden State Warriors and then the Chicago Bulls, where he won a championship ring. He next played with the New Jersey Nets and then finished his NBA career with the Hornets in 2000–01. He played in other professional basketball leagues through the 2005–06 season.
The Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt men's basketball team competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and plays their home games in the Petersen Events Center. The Panthers were retroactively recognized as the pre-NCAA tournament national champion twice by the Helms Athletic Foundation and once by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll. Pitt has reached one Final Four, received 15 First Team All-American selections, appeared in 27 NCAA tournaments through the 2022–23 season, and has recorded 1,674 victories against 1,232 losses since their inaugural season of 1905–06.
Allen Eugene Edwards is an American basketball coach and former basketball player. He is best known for winning two NCAA championships at the University of Kentucky as a player. Edwards was formerly the head basketball coach at the University of Wyoming.
Jama Mahlalela is a Swazi-Canadian basketball coach, currently an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Previously he has served as the head coach of Raptors 905 of the NBA G League and an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors.
Grandy Glaze is a Canadian former professional basketball player. Born in North York, Ontario, he started high school at St. Edmund Campion Secondary School in Brampton before attending three different schools in the United States, including Notre Dame Preparatory School in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. A former University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) signee, he began playing for Saint Louis at the college level, but after receiving limited playing time, he transferred to Grand Canyon, where he earned all-conference honors.
Chad Ryan William Posthumus is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Winnipeg Sea Bears of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). He played college basketball with UBC, Howard College, and Morehead State.
Douglas Herring Jr. is an American-born naturalised Syrian professional basketball player for the Venados de Mazatlán of the Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacífico (CIBACOPA). He played college basketball for Utica College.
Junior Carlisle Cadougan is a Canadian former professional basketball player and Assistant Coach for the Vancouver Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). Cadougan spent his college career at Marquette University. Following his graduation from college, he played professionally in Europe. He also represented Canada in international competition.
The St. John's Edge were a Canadian professional basketball team based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, that competed in the National Basketball League of Canada. From 2017 to 2020, they played home games at Mile One Centre. They were given a leave of absence from the league in 2021 due to not having a suitable home arena after not being given a new lease for Mile One Centre.
The 2018–19 NBL Canada season is the eighth season of the National Basketball League of Canada. The regular season ran from November 15, 2018, to March 31, 2019.
The 2019–20 NBL Canada season was the ninth season of the National Basketball League of Canada. The regular season was supposed to run from December 26, 2019, to April 23, 2020. However, on March 12, the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.
The UBC Thunderbirds women's basketball team represent the University of British Columbia in the Canada West Universities Athletic Association of U Sports women's basketball. The Thunderbirds have won the Bronze Baby a total of five times, including the first three championships, spanning from 1972 to 1974. The last two national championships took place in 2004 and 2008. Both victories took place against the Regina Cougars. In 2004, the Thunderbirds defeated the Cougars by a 60-53 mark, while the 2008 triumph resulted in a 67-46 final.
Zack Moore is a Japanese-American professional basketball player for Earth Friends Tokyo Z of the B.League. He played college basketball for the Seattle Redhawks, UC Santa Barbara Gauchos and the UBC Thunderbirds.
