Captain Kimbal back with River Lions
Kimball Mackenzie is the latest signing for the Niagara River Lions as the squad looks to defend its Canadian Elite Basketball League crown.
“I’m very excited,” the 28-year-old Oakville native said. “Niagara has developed into and has always been one of the premier organizations in the CEBL. They have a winning culture here and hopefully I will be returning to a great group of guys who will be looking to defend our championship.”
Mackenzie feels last year’s team was special for a variety of reasons.
“First off, we were talented but a lot of the teams are very talented. We cared about each other we cared about winning, we were close and any winning team has a bond that goes beyond the basketball court. We checked all those boxes and that is why we were ultimately successful.”
At the conclusion of last season, the players talked about trying to get everyone back for another run at top spot.
“Absolutely. When you have a good group, everyone wants to run it back. The tricky part is that this is professional sport unlike university where guys are often there for four years. It can be a little more uncommon in the pros to have that type of continuity,” the former scholarship player at Bucknell said. “What brings guys back to Niagara is the winning culture and on top of that the care for skill development and your life outside of basketball.”
Mackenzie averaged averaged 6.2 points, 1.9 assists and 13.8 minutes of playing time per game for Niagara last season and was willing to whatever role he was asked to fulfill.
“I am at a point in my career where my confidence isn’t necessarily determined by playing 35 minutes a game and scoring X amount like maybe it once was,” he said. “I understand that I am in a fluid role where some days I might be needed to play more and some days I might need to play less. But my professionalism and leadership always have to be on point. That’s what I bring to the team.”
His selfless attitude and team-first approach made him an easy choice for team captain.
“I always say that I don’t think that I would approach the day-to-day any differently but it gives me that motivation to be on point and try to bridge that gap between players and coaches. I feel comfortable being myself there and it doesn’t take anything extra for me.”
River Lions head coach/general manager Victor Raso is happy to have Mackenzie back for another season.
“Bringing Kimbal back for the 2025 season was incredibly important for our team. He has been the leader of the locker room, and has been excellent on the court,” Raso told the River Lions website. “He has a rare ability to make those around him better on a constant basis. He is a proven leader and winner and we’re thrilled to have him back again.”
Mackenzie is the third returning player to resign joining Jahvon Blair and Nathan Cayo.
Training camp for Niagara will to open May 8 with the home opener scheduled for May 16 versus the Calgary Surge. Ticket information can be found at www.riverlions.ca/tickets or by calling 289-273-5905.
