| Moncton Miracles | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Division | Atlantic Division | ||
| League | NBL Canada | ||
| Founded | 2011 | ||
| History | Moncton Miracles 2011–2017 | ||
| Arena | Moncton Coliseum | ||
| Location | Moncton, New Brunswick | ||
| Team colours | Black, orange, gray, white | ||
| Team manager | Brennan Bellemare | ||
| Head coach | Paul Mokeski | ||
| Ownership | Vacant | ||
| Website | MiraclesBasketball.com | ||
TheMoncton Miracles were a Canadian professionalbasketball team inMoncton,New Brunswick. Established in 2011, they were a charter member of theNational Basketball League of Canada (NBL). The Miracles played their home games at theMoncton Coliseum as a part of the league'sAtlantic Division and were one of two New Brunswick teams in the league along with theSaint John Riptide. The team was founded and owned bySteven Conville but were now without an owner for three seasons. Their seasons in the NBL Canada had been highlighted by struggles,[1] until the franchise was finally folded following the2016–17 season when a new ownership decided to start a new franchise in Moncton called theMoncton Magic.[2]
The Miracles were founded in 2011 and made their debut in the 2011–12 season of the NBL (National Basketball League). The team was primarily established by Steven George Conville;Steven Conville, who was the vice president and portfolio manager for Macquarie Private Wealth, part of the Macquarie Group, at the time. A big basketball fan, Conville accepted an offer to start a professional team byAndre Levingston, who would be the co-founder of the NBL Canada.[3]
Following a failure to establish an NBL Canada team based out ofKingston, Ontario, Conville decided to create one in Moncton. He targeted the city because of its rapid growth and tight-knit community. Despite not having visited the city before becoming the Miracles' owner, Conville gained a perspective ofAtlantic Canada during business trips toHalifax, Nova Scotia andPrince Edward Island.[3] He said, "So when I did my research on Moncton, I found out how much they loved basketball out there."[3] At a press conference in August 2011, Conville was officially named team owner. He also announced his hiring of Norris "Bo" Bell as the first head coach for the Miracles. Bell ran a basketball academy inAtlanta,Georgia in the United States.[3] A former player, he also had experience in theContinental Basketball Association (CBA) and inFrance andSwitzerland. Bell faced the likes ofMicheal Ray Richardson,Dražen Petrović, andBilly Knight during his playing career.[4] He also became fluent inFrench through his years in Europe, which was part of the reason he drew Conville's attention.[3][5]
The Miracles' nickname was inspired by the termMoncton Miracle, which referred to the city of Moncton's comeback from recession in the 1980s. Conville described it by saying that it "connects with Moncton's history and symbolizes the strength, courage and toughness that this city has shown over the years."[5] The nickname was also chosen because "Miracle" is the same word in both French andEnglish.[5] Conville also commented on the team's logo, "Our team logo is meant to embody the strength that comes through when you rise above... the player in the logo carrying the ball is not wallowing in the past. He's heading towards the future and he's doing it ferociously."[5]
After three seasons of operations under the league management and without an owner, the NBL Canada sold a new franchise to three local business to play as theMoncton Magic.[2]
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility atFIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.
| Moncton Miracles roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Updated: April 13, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | Division | Regular season | Playoffs | Head coach | Awards | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Games | Wins | Losses | Pct. | GB | |||||||
| Moncton Miracles | ||||||||||||
| 2011–12 | — | 7th | 36 | 9 | 27 | .250 | 19 | Did not qualify | Norris Bell (0–7) Mike Evans (9–20) | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Atlantic | 3rd | 40 | 20 | 20 | .500 | 6 | Won First Round (Mill Rats), 2–1 Lost Semifinals (Lightning), 1–3 | Ricky Benitez (8–9) Serge Langis (1–1) Dennis Truax (11–10) | Devin Sweetney (MVP) Isaac Butts (RoY) Kim Blanco (EoY) | ||
| 2013–14 | Atlantic | 3rd | 40 | 14 | 26 | .350 | 9 | Lost First Round (Storm), 1–3 | Dennis Truax | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Atlantic | 4th | 32 | 8 | 24 | .250 | 12 | Lost First Round (Rainmen), 1–3 | Serge Langis | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Atlantic | 3rd | 40 | 15 | 25 | .275 | 14 | Lost First Round (Mill Rats), 1–3 | Serge Langis | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Atlantic | 4th | 40 | 15 | 25 | .375 | 12 | Lost First Round (Hurricanes), 0–3 | Paul Mokeski | — | ||
