JOHN LASHWAY’S INCREDIBLE JOURNEY

by jacob goldbach

John Lashway has led a life that most sports fans only dream of. From a simple goal to having a career in sports, John has enjoyed an incredible journey to his current role as President of the CEBL’s Brampton Honey Badgers and Executive Vice President of Canada’s national pro basketball league. He recently talked to the Co-Host of Sauga960AM’s The Swing, Jacob Goldbach.

JACOB GOLDBACH: You have worked in professional front offices for well over 30 years now. Was working in sports always the ultimate goal for you?

JOHN LASHWAY: When I was very young my goal was to work in the NBA or MLB by the time I reached 40. Thanks to being able to learn a lot and form a great foundation while working for the University of Oregon, I landed a management role with the Portland Trail Blazers a month after I turned 26. With that goal achieved I never set another professional goal beyond just trying to be a positive difference-maker in support of other people’s success and striving to continuously be a better version of myself. In my 40’s I wanted to pursue the many interests I had in other sectors. I am every bit as passionate about real estate development, the performing arts, and higher education because they each have a legacy component to them. I am very grateful to have worked in those fields and in others during my career. Being a leader at the highest levels of sports has come natural to me, and I’m grateful to be able to help establish a legacy with the Canadian Elite Basketball League like I did in helping create and launch the Toronto Raptors and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.

JG: You played a key role in launching the Toronto Raptors, a landmark moment for sport in Canada. What are some lessons you learned during that process?

JL: I learned to be resilient and to tune out the noise of naysayers who don’t believe something is achievable. Lots of people didn’t believe the Raptors could survive in Toronto where the Leafs and Jays had a stranglehold, though I felt certain we could become the preeminent team in the marketplace. I came to Toronto because of the job and stayed because of the people, so I learned what an exceptional place Canada is and proudly became a citizen in 2004!

JG: The Hamilton Honey Badgers are moving to Brampton to become the city's first professional basketball team. What does it mean to you to represent this city?

JL: I’ve been involved in business in Brampton since 2017, before the CEBL launched, and I absolutely love the people in Brampton and the ethos that emphasizes entrepreneurship, innovation, recreation, community, and striving to live one’s best life. The Honey Badgers have been the flagship organization of the CEBL, but we conduct ourselves with humility and in an understated way without the sizzle some other sports teams like to sell. Brampton is a jewel in the crown but is also understated and too often under-appreciated by those who don’t know enough about it. Brampton has long been arguably the strongest market in Canada when it comes to grassroots basketball participation. This team and this city are an ideal match.

JG: The CEBL will kick off their fifth season in May. What impacts have you seen this league make for basketball across the country?

JL: Canada is the world’s second-leading producer of basketball talent, and the CEBL has let people know that not only can we develop NBA talent but that beyond those 20 or so players we have hundreds more earning a living playing in very high-level pro leagues around the world. Dozens of them play in the CEBL during the summer. I am very proud that the Honey Badgers have had 30 players sign contracts with pro teams immediately after playing a summer with us. We showcase Canadian talent domestically and abroad through livestreams and broadcasts, which increases the global demand for our basketball talent.

CEBL teams are building roots in their communities that inspire people of all ages and backgrounds to pick up a ball for the first time or to enjoy pursuing their ultimate level of play. People want to belong to something bigger than themselves, and basketball enables that in a way no other sport can match.

The CEBL is about basketball and so much more. We support community and economic development in various ways away from the court and during all times of the year.

JG: What's your pre-game locker room pump-up song?

JL: Eye of the Tiger, by Survivor – it’s about resiliency, fighting fearlessly, and staying hungry for more. My ringtone is Enter Sandman by Metallica because I was a fan of Mariano Rivera, the New York

Yankees closer, and it instantly sets my mind to take on whatever challenge might come my way. Game over. Another win.

JG: If you could go back in time to relive one iconic sports moment, what would it be?

JL: I’ve been told I should write a book entitled, “You Won’t Believe This But . . . “ because I haven’t met too many people who have experienced as many iconic sports moments or worked with as many sports icons as I have in my lifetime. The moments on the team bus, airplane and locker room have been the best. In terms of events, it would be tough to top driving my kids from our home in Oregon to the 2010 Winter Olympics. My mother has always been a bigger NBA fan than me, so having my parents join me at the 1996 NBA All-Star Weekend in San Antonio, and for the Trail Blazers and Raptors road games in several cities was exceptionally special for me.

Sauga960AM will be the radio broadcaster for the Brampton Honey Badgers games this season starting May 24.