The Montréal Alliance announced Wednesday that they have signed local guard Kemy Osse, making him the first player in the history of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) expansion franchise.

“We are extremely excited to announce Kemy as our first official signing in franchise history”, said General Manager Joel Anthony. “To have a player from our city that is as committed to his craft as he is his community makes this a special signing for us. Kemy’s leadership and experience in our league will play a large role for the team, along with his ability to contribute on both sides of the ball.”

The 6-foot-1 Montrealer played the 2020 and 2021 CEBL seasons with the Saskatchewan Rattlers, averaging 11.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 27.1 minutes per game while shooting 35 percent from the three-point line. During the 2020 CEBL Summer Series, Osse started all six games for the Rattlers and set personal records in points, steals, minutes played and three-point shooting percentages. Osse finished the CEBL Summer Series averaging 14.2 points, 2.3 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 47 percent from the three-point line and ranking in the league’s top two in each category. 

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to compete for a championship while wearing a Montréal Alliance jersey”, declared Osse. “I would like to thank our General Manager Joel Anthony, Vice-President Annie Larouche, Director of Player Personnel Ibrahim Appiah and our Head Coach Vincent Lavandier for believing in me and trusting me to represent the city of Montréal. I am excited for this upcoming season, and I am looking forward to playing in the city I call home.”

After representing Team Québec at the 2009 Canada Games, Osse spent four years at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in the NCAA’s Division I, averaging 6.0 points, 0.7 assist, 2.4 rebounds and 17.5 minutes per game. He notably played in the 2016 March Madness tournament, helping his team pull off an upset over the Purdue Boilermakers. 

Following his time at Arkansas-Little Rock and prior to joining the Saskatchewan Rattlers, Osse played three seasons in the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL), with the Charlottetown Island Storm in Prince Edward Island (2017-2018), the Saint-John Riptide in New Brunswick (2018-2019) and the Windsor Express in Ontario (2019-2020). 

“The first signing is always an important moment in the construction of a team,” said Head Coach Vincent Lavandier. “I’m happy to welcome Kemy to the Montréal Alliance as we build our franchise’s history together. Kemy is a vocal leader, and his knowledge of the League will be a strength for our team.” 

 Growing up in the Park Extension area of Montréal, Osse attended École Saint Augustin Roscelli (elementary school) and Collège Notre Dame (high school). Of Haitian descent, Osse is the first recruit for Alliance General Manager Joel Anthony. Fans will have the opportunity to see Osse play 10 times this summer at the new Verdun Auditorium. For season memberships starting at $22.50 per game or for more information, visit https://www.alliancemontreal.ca/en-ca/season-memberships-2022.

About the Montréal Alliance

The Montréal Alliance is a professional basketball team competing in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). The team will play all their home games at the newly renovated Verdun Auditorium. The Alliance opens their inaugural season May 25 against the Honey Badgers in Hamilton. The season, comprised of 10 home games and 10 road games, ends August 1 when the team faces the BlackJacks in Ottawa. Get your season membership and find more information about the team at www.alliancemontreal.ca and on our social media platforms, on Instagram (@alliancemontreal), Twitter (@mtl_alliance), LinkedIn and Facebook (Montréal Alliance).  

About the CEBL

The CEBL begins its fourth season in May. A league created by Canadians for Canadians, more than 75 percent of its players during the past three seasons were Canadian, the highest percentage of any professional league in the country. CEBL players bring experience from the NBA, the NBA G League, top NCAA programs, the Canadian National team program, top international leagues as well as U SPORTS. All CEBL regular season games will be broadcast live on the free CBC Gem streaming service, cbcsports.ca, the CBC Sports mobile app and CEBL+. Additional information about the league is available at www.cebl.ca. 

###

Media Contact:

Zachary Favreau

Manager, Communications & Community Relations

[email protected]