Billy is back; Lightning roster taking shape

Around the Perimeter: Lightning loading up on vets in signings so far; New merch on the way for fans; Get an inside peek at coach Jerry Williams in action. Columnist Jason Winders has the latest …

Billy White will return for a second season with the London Lightning. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

* * *

STARTING FIVE

Billy is back | The more things change, the more they stay the same, as the London Lightning are bringing back another key piece of last season’s championship run. Veteran forward Billy White will once again don the Yellow and Black, joining guard Chris Jones in returning to the defending champs.

“Billy is a proven winner, an MVP, a champion,” said Lightning head coach Jerry Williams. “He is so passionate about the game of basketball. He cares about the game and what they’re doing. He shows a fire out there.”

Last season, White averaged 17.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game in 37 contests.

Veteran leadership | Billy White. Chris Jones. Marcus Ottey. (Spoiler alert for the below note.). Half the current roster is made up not only of familiar faces, but key contributors to the franchise’s championship runs in recent years. Williams sees this veteran leadership as a huge plus heading into a new season, flattening the learning curve for a new coach and team just getting to know each other.

“This is a blessing to have such talent, such wisdom on a team,” Williams said. “Coaching is not easy, regardless of the situation. To have guys who know the routines of a season, who understand the path to a championship, it makes life so much easier for a coach.”

He continued, “Guys like Billy and Chris understand a coach can only do so much. I cannot go out there and stop the play like we can in practice when we go over things a million times. Once the game starts, you need those veteran players to be out there to remind the guys what we practiced, why we did it. And when you have two of those guys out there, how did I get so lucky?”

Dressed for success | Suiting up for a winning season, the London Lightning are stepping up their game both on and off the court, offering new ways for fans and players to show their team pride in style.

For the players, Lululemon will be creating exclusive player gear to be showcased before and after games. While the sweatsuit styles won’t be available to the general public, the new put-together looks will add a little extra to the team’s already iconic logo and look.

For the fans, the Lightning have teamed up with Muin Clothing Co. to create a wide range of new team merch. The London-based brand is known for its creative, Canadian heritage-honouring clothing. While official team jerseys can be purchased from the league website, Muin will be delivering almost everything else.

Torontonian Marcus Ottey is back for a fourth season with the Lightning. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

“We’re going to have a wider variety of merch for people – pretty much everything people have been asking for: sweatpants, hats, fanny packs, bucket hats. We’re also bringing back the foam fingers,” said Danielle Renaud, Lightning VP Marketing & Sales, who will be wearing an exclusive merch drop at the home opener.

The new merch will be available at the games, as well as Western Fair and online.

Getting drafty in here | Maybe don’t rush out and buy those Kingslee D'Silva or Alontay Gould jerseys just yet. It’s a long road from the draft to BSL super stardom.

Last season, only two of the 12 drafted players found their way to opening day rosters.

Former Lightning shooting guard Rashad Smith, a current member of the Newfoundland Rogues, was the third overall pick in the draft. He saw mixed results in a season where he was a bit underused, ending the season averaging 6.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in 30 games (although only playing about 13 minutes a game). Among other 2024 draftees, only Montreal’s Brandon Beloti (No. 11) saw the court in 2024.

So, what should we expect from new Lightning draftees? We’ll see.

Lights. Camera. Action. | Want to get a feel for the new Lightning head coach? Enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at Jerry Williams as he navigated the 2024 BSL season at the helm of the Newfoundland Rogues. Produced by Jaster Productions, the documentary offers an inside scoop on the history of the province’s only active pro basketball team, as well as its journey through the season.

LIGHTNING NOTES

• Training camp will tip off on Nov. 11 – giving the squad only 12 days to mesh in advance of their season opener in KW.

• Add another familiar face to the lineup. The Lightning signed Marcus Ottey, a 6-foot-2 guard out of Toronto. Ottey returns for a fourth year with the Lighting – where he has only known championships, with back-to-back-to-back titles in two leagues to his name. In 2023, he was named both an NBLC All-Canadian and All-Defence member (2nd team). The versatile standout averaged 9.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists for the Bolts.

• Add Nino Johnson, a 6-foot-9 forward/centre from Tennessee, to the Bolts’ roster. The Southeast Missouri State alumnus played three seasons with the Memphis Hustle and Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G League, as well as the Brampton Honey Bears of the CEBL. Most recently, he played with Halcones Rojos de Veracruz (Mexico).

BEYOND MY BYLINE

One of the greatest basketball (or sports, for that matter) documentaries of all time turned 30 last week, and it was a great reminder of the classic that blew away 22-year-old me at a showing in Champaign, Ill., all those years ago. Lots of outlets marked the anniversary, so there’s plenty to read out there, but I had the most fun rewatching the film (found for free on YouTube, as well as other streamers). Also, do as I do with any film of a certain age and make sure to check out the Siskel & Ebert review. Good insights and great memories.