NBA's Kaleb Canales signs on as Calgary Surge head coach ahead of team's 3rd season
He becomes CEBL's first bench boss with NBA experience
The opportunity to develop the game at a global level in Canada prompted NBA coaching veteran Kaleb Canales to sign with the Calgary Surge as its new head coach.
Canales makes the move north of the border, stepping away from the highest level of professional basketball and his role as the G League's Texas Legends associate head coach, after more than a decade worth of NBA experience.
The Calgary Surge announced the move Thursday.
"I just think it's perfect timing for me and my career and my goals and what I still want to achieve," Canales said in an interview with CBC News.
"I wasn't just like actively looking, but when the opportunity presented itself, and I felt the connection and the energy and the vibes with the leadership group, it just became a no-brainer from my end."
Canales has coached NBA legends and Hall of Famers, such as Dirk Nowitzki, and has been behind the bench with teams, including the New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers. His first head coaching stint came when he led the 2011 Portland Trail Blazers.
"Playing for [him] was great for me as I entered the league because of how genuine he is as a man first," said Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard, in a news release.
Lillard won Rookie of the Year under Canales, who was an assistant coach at the time.
"The support, the challenges, the direction, the love, the care, the time and the belief really meant a lot to me as I transitioned [into the NBA]," he said.
Canales's stint with Portland made him the first Mexican-American head coach in the NBA. His role with the Surge marks another debut achievement for him and the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL).
He's set to become the first head coach in the league with NBA experience.
"It's big time for our organization, for our league, and he's just so passionate and focused and he's ready to go," said Calgary Surge general manager Shane James.
"All of the players who play in our league, they all want to play at the highest level — and that's correlated with playing for the best coaches, and getting the best player development and learning the game from a guy who's been at the top level."
The Calgary Surge begin their third CEBL season in May against their provincial rivals, the Edmonton Stingers.
The team is aiming to make its third championship tournament appearance in as many seasons after falling short in the semi-finals last year to the Vancouver Bandits and losing in the finals to the Scarborough Shooting Stars the previous season.
"Basketball has gotten so much better everywhere," Canales said.
"I feel I can bring a unique set of winning tools to our program and our culture and our standard and the excitement that it will bring to our Surge fans."
Canales becomes the Surge's third head coach in three seasons. He takes over from former head coach Tyrell Vernon, who opted to stay in Nova Scotia through 2025 to lead the coaching staff at St. Francis Xavier University with the X-Men basketball program.
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