GREAT FALLS — The Great Falls Electric are just over two weeks away from their first game in The Basketball League.
The team has arrived in Great Falls and began training camp on Feb. 18 with players from across the country under the leadership of head coach Johnny Clark. Clark was an assistant coach during the 2006-2007 CBA season with the Great Falls Explorers.
“I’m excited. It’s been a long journey out here coming from Kentucky but Montana has been beautiful,” said Jacob Bates. “We’ve seen some snow and some warm weather, and I’m excited that basketball has been good. Getting to meet the team and stuff like that but I’m ready to go.”
Bates was drafted with the 25th pick in the first round of the 2024 TBL draft. He was drafted along with Electric teammates Lamine Komara (Round 1, pick 8), and Antwaan Cushingberry (Round 1, pick 33).
The Electric represent one of the few expansion teams that will be joining the TBL for their first season, and the team has plans to put the league on notice that it will be ready to contend for a title.
“We want to win. Whatever that looks like. Winning games, winning playoff games, making it to the playoffs,” said Cushingberry. “I think if we can bring winning to the community, it’ll be good for the team and the community so that’s what we want to do.”
With this organization being the first Great Falls professional basketball team in over a decade, the players are excited to put on a show while on the court, and get involved with the community off the court. Komara told MTN Sports that he is excited to show the community some love and return the support that will be given to them throughout the season.
The season begins for the Electric on March 15 on the road against the Emerald City Jaguars in Eugene, Ore. The home opener will be played at Great Falls High on March 23 against the Seattle Super Hawks.
