River Lions ink power forward
The Niagara River Lions wasted little time filling the international spot on its roster.
The Canadian Elite Basketball League recently mandated each of its team must allocate one spot on their 10-man active rosters to an international player and Niagara filled its spot Tuesday with 6-foot-10, 205-pound power forward Tidjan Keita. The Paris, France, native is the first international signed by any team in the CEBL.
“Tidjan is a phenomenal talent with huge upside,” said Antwi Atuahene, Niagara’s co-general manager and head of basketball operations. “He’s a high-character guy with a great work ethic and he has the tools to excel to the NBA as long as he trusts the process. He fits everything about the River Lions’ culture, and more than anything, Tidjan is a great person and even better teammate.”
The 26-year-old France native is presently suiting up for the Iserlohn Kangaroos, a ProB team in the German Bundesliga. He is leading his squad in rebounds (7.8) and blocks (1.1) per game and is averaging 13.5 points per contest.
“I’m excited for the season and to join my teammates and coaching staff,” Keita said. “It’s going to be an incredible time and I look forward to meeting and seeing all the River Lions fans.”
He is a relative newcomer to the sport, starting at the age of 18. His professional stops have included: the Northern Arizona Suns, the G-League affiliate of the Phoenix Suns; the Toronto Raptors’ summer league team in 2018; one season in France with GET Vosges; and, two previous seasons in Germany with BBC Coburg and the VfL Kirchheim Knights.
The River Lions, who went 10-4 in the 2021 regular season and advanced to the championship game, open the 2022 season May 25 on the road in Saskatchewan. Their home opener will be June 3 at the Meridian Centre against the expansion Montreal Alliance.
Training camp for the team opens on May 15.
