Star guard/forward Teddy Allen returns to Sea Bears after abrupt departure in 2024

Teddy Allen wants to leave the past in the past.

For parts of two seasons, Allen delivered moments of ecstasy to Winnipeg Sea Bears fans with his play on the court, leading the club to the playoffs in its inaugural season while rising to acclaim in the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

Allen, the league’s most valuable player, became the face of the franchise before it all came to a surprising and screeching halt early in the 2024 season, when the Sea Bears released the star guard/forward.

On Thursday, nearly two years after the fact, Allen — now the Sea Bears’ newest signing — said all the right things as he tiptoed through a series of questions about the abrupt way his last tenure with the team ended, and how a new one is about to begin.

“I’m always looking for the best opportunity to better myself and further my game and further my experience in this basketball community. Obviously, I love Winnipeg, so coming back here was pretty much a no-brainer,” Allen said at a press conference held at the Outlet Collection mall in Tuxedo.

Fans met Allen’s return with as much excitement as there were questions about the reunion between a player and franchise that parted ways on a sour note just eight games into the 2024 campaign.

Allen’s release followed a multi-week saga that reached a crescendo when he was seen involved in multiple verbal altercations with teammates in-game. He was fined by the league and by the team for his personal conduct.

Then-head coach Mike Taylor said Allen’s behaviour had created internal “unrest,” while teammates, including Alex Campbell — now the Sea Bears’ assistant coach and assistant general manager — backed the decision, noting that the work environment had gotten “chaotic” as egos clashed daily.

Allen said he’s matured since that time, however. He vowed this time will be different.

“It’s a new year. I grow every year as a person, on and off the floor, so it’s just different because it’s not then. It’s now,” he said.

“Personally, I’ve been baptized. I’ve accepted Jesus into my life and just continued to grow as a man, friend, father and teammate. On the court, just learning more about the game, playing with better players and learning more about what I could do and how to be more efficient and maximize my skillset.”

Was there trepidation about bringing a player with Allen’s history back into the locker room? No, according to first-year Sea Bears head coach and general manager Mike Raimbault, who has maintained contact with Allen since he left.

“He was actually the first person to message me when the news went out that I had (accepted) the job,” said Raimbault, who was the club’s assistant coach during Allen’s last tenure. “We had a lot of conversations about how he was doing, where he was, and obviously, he’s a fun player to watch.

“I tuned in to a lot of his games when he wasn’t here and kept tabs on how he was doing as a person and as a player. And as the lead-up to this moment went, we just had a lot of honest conversations about what we’re trying to build and what we’re trying to do. Super thankful that he’s taking a chance to come back and be a part of the organization.”

Allen has continued to play a big game since his last time in the CEBL.

The 27-year-old spent the winter with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (10 games) and Delaware Blue Coats (16 games) of the NBA G League, averaging 20 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest.

He made headlines in the G League several times this season for his scoring, including with the Blue Coats last month, when he tied a career-high 42-point performance (which he did with the Vipers earlier in the season).

Allen became affectionately known as Teddy Buckets during his time with the Sea Bears, owing to his entertaining playing style and prolific scoring ability. Now the Phoenix product re-joins Winnipeg to form a dynamic tandem with three-time CEBL MVP Xavier Moon, whom the team landed earlier this off-season.

“I think my vision is more team-oriented than about one or two individuals. That was part of the conversation that Teddy and I had,” said Raimbault. “In order for us to be as successful as we would like to be, everybody has to sacrifice, and on any given day, it could be a different player who has to step into a more predominant role, based on what other teams are doing.

“I think that’s way more about our entire group approach than— obviously, you have to have talented individual performers. But equally so, you have to have them buy into playing as a group and doing the things that it takes to win. And that’s the great part of basketball.”

Both Allen and Moon are players who constantly want the ball in their hands, but the former says he’s embracing the opportunity to play alongside a fellow MVP.

“I’m not super familiar with his game, but I’ve heard a lot about him, and I’m excited to get to know his game and know him,” said Allen. “I like myself playing with any great players. I think we can make each other better and complete each other.”

The move to acquire a trusted scorer such as Allen is expected to afford Raimbault some grace early in the season, as Moon finishes his winter campaign in Russia and may not arrive in Winnipeg until late June.

Anticipation is already building for when they are able to share a court for the first time.

“There’s still some work to be done,” said Raimbault. “Obviously, fortunate to play with players like this where opportunities kind of grow, and we think we’re putting ourselves in a pretty good situation at this point in time.”

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