After a successful inaugural season, community support for for the Cape Breton Highlanders professional basketball team continues to grow as the founder, General Manager, and President of the franchise, Tyrone Levingston, was named the Jack Yazer Young Entrepreneur of the Year at tonight's (Oct 17, 2017) Business in Excellence Awards hosted by the Sydney and Area Chamber of Commerce.  

Levingston is pictured above on the right with Jonathan MacNeil of the Business Development Bank of Canada.

Levingston, age 34, came to Cape Breton Island 2 years ago with several business suits and a dream. He wanted to launch a new franchise in the National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC).

Cape Breton seemed to be a good choice with an appropriate small-market population base, a love of sports, and a pro-level arena (Centre 200). With teams in Charlottetown, Halifax, Moncton, and Saint John, Cape Breton would round out the Atlantic Division of the NBLC. Levingston is originally from Detroit, but has also lived in Toronto and Halifax.

“I didn’t know anyone when I came here. I had no network, yet I had to find investors who would financially support a pro basketball team,” explained Levingston. “I took it one step at a time, and when one door would close, I would work on opening the next.  Eventually it all worked out.”

Levingston realized his dream late in 2016 when the Cape Breton Highlanders joined the NBLC. He leads the team as President and General Manager, as well as being one of a dozen or so shareholders. The Highlanders team name and logo are inspired by the beauty of the Cape Breton Highlands and the history and bravery of The Cape Breton Highlanders Regiment. 

Levingston admits there were many challenges behind the scenes during the inaugural season, but commends his front office team for skillfully organizing 20 high-quality entertainment experiences. And, his players on the court were competitive in nearly every game, with many games decided in the last few minutes of action. The team finished the season with 15 wins and 25 losses, but only 1 win away from third place in the Atlantic Division.

Fan attendance was high, averaging 1,300 per game with a single-game high of nearly 2,800. Fans were energized by the speed and intensity of professional basketball, along with the long-range shots and thunderous dunks.

Levingston added, “Our goal is to do more than just host basketball games. We want our fans to be entertained from tip-off to the moment they exit the arena. We want to give them an experience they can share with their family and friends. And, if they are experiencing challenges in their lives, a moment where they can focus their minds on having fun and feel the positive energy from thousands of fans around them all cheering together.”

“We like to say that basketball is our product but community is our mission. Our players attend many local events to share inspirational messages for healthy lifestyles, the value of education, building positive self-esteem, and having fun.”

Season two starts in mid-November with training camp at the end of October. Season Ticket options and details are available at HighlandersBasketball.ca