2015 NBL Canada Finals brawl
The 2015 NBL Canada Finals brawl was an altercation that occurred prior to Game 7 of the year's National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) Finals, between the Windsor Express and Halifax Rainmen on April 30, 2015. It led to the Rainmen's forfeit of the deciding game and allowed the Express to win the championship by default. Windsor's guard Tony Bennett, who participated in the brawl, said, "It's a black eye not just for the league, but for basketball."
| Date | April 30, 2015 |
|---|---|
| Time | 10:40 EST (2:40 UTC) |
| Venue | NBL Canada |
| Location | WFCU Centre |
| Coordinates | 42.3186°N 82.9279°W |
| Outcome | Mass suspensions and fines. |
| Suspects |
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After the Rainmen reached the site of the game hours early and began warming up, they were discovered by Express assistant coach Gerry Brumpton. Windsor head coach Bill Jones later entered the room to retrieve a ball and violence erupted between him and Halifax center Liam McMorrow. This sparked a brawl between both the teams as a whole, causing police to arrive. The Rainmen eventually left the stadium and chose to not compete in Game 7 because of safety concerns.
The incident resulted in mass fines and several suspensions, most notably the lifetime ban of Rainmen coaches Josep Clarós and Pedro Monteiro from coaching in the NBL Canada. The league also fined the entire Halifax Rainmen organization, with charges totaling $90,000. Tony Bennett was the sole Express player to be fined and suspended. Many players, including Bennett, were reinstated into the league in the following season.