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Basketball player Aaryn Rai signed by Niagara River Lions
The Indian Canadian player is signed up for the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) after a successful season with the Cheshire Phoenix in the British Basketball League
Aaryn Rai in action on the field playing for the Cheshire Phoenix team / cebl.ca
Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) team Niagara River Lions announced the signing of Indian-Canadian player Aaryn Rai, on Apr. 4. As per the 2024 season schedule, matches begin on May 21, and Rai will play his first with the River Lions on May 24.
“NEWS: @RiverLions sign Canadian forward Aaryn Rai. Rai was a former @bballengland
Player of the Year and is currently in the @britishbasketm playing for @CheshireNix
where he is averaging 18.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists,” CEBL posted on X.
NEWS: @RiverLions sign Canadian forward Aaryn Rai.
— CEBL (@CEBLeague) April 4, 2024
Rai was a former @bballengland Player of the Year and is currently in the @britishbasketm playing for @CheshireNix where he is averaging 18.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
️: https://t.co/VK3OgQTbZB#CEBLFreeAgency
“I'm super excited to play for Coach Victor and the River Lions this summer,” said Rai, according to the official press release. “I'm preparing to bring great energy to the team and hopefully some silverware back to Niagara at the end of the season!” he added.
Head coach and general manager of the team Victor Raso praised Rai for his “very muli-faceted” gameplay and ability to play multiple positions. “On top of that, he is a very impressive young man who has a bright career ahead of him. Aaryn is an excellent addition to our team and I’m very excited to have him!” Raso said.
Who is Aaryn Rai?
Basketball player Aaryn Rai, 25, was born in Markham, Canada, where he grew up playing football. A significant growth spurt at age 13, caused his height and feet to grow quickly and impacted his movement on the football field. Up until that point, he was a central midfielder using his short height to his advantage, and growing over six feet tall did not fit with his role on the field anymore so he heeded his mother’s advice and decided to pursue basketball.
Rai then went to prep school with a basketball academy which brought him to the US where he ended up at Ivy League school Dartmouth, majoring in neuroscience. Rai spent five years at Dartmouth where he played Division 1 basketball while earning a degree.
As a member of the Big Green, which is an intercollegiate men’s basketball program of Dartmouth College, Rai averaged 8.6 points, 5,3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 107 games played.
During the 2021-2022 season, Rai ranked among the top 10 in the Ivy League in scoring (12.3 per game, 10th), rebounding (7.2 per game, 3rd), blocked shots (0.6 per game, 7th) and steals (1.2 per game, 10th).
Following his collegiate career, Rai began his professional career playing for the British semi-professional basketball club Hemel Storm, and then with the Cheshire Phoenix of the British Basketball League (BBL) where he is currently averaging 18.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 31.6 minutes per game.
In his current season with Pheonix, Rai helped lead the team to a BBL Cup victory putting up 16 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals in the final game. He is second in the league in points per game (18.4), and fifth in total rebounds per game (7.8).
Rai has also signed up to join India Rising– a professional team of Indian-origin basketball players from across the globe who will compete in The Basketball Tournament (TBT) on ESPN, a high-stakes competition, with the hopes of winning US$1 million.
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