TORONTO, Ont. (October 8, 2020) – Canada Basketball announced Thursday the addition of Paul Jones and Leah MacNab to the organization’s board of directors, effective immediately.

Jones spent more than two decades in education, as a teacher, vice-principal and principal before transitioning into a full-time broadcasting role. A long-time member of the Canadian basketball community, Jones is currently the radio play-by-play voice for the Toronto Raptors on Sportsnet 590 The Fan and TSN 1050 Toronto.  He has also done analysis and sideline reporting on the Raptors for TSN, CTV, Rogers Sportsnet and NBA Canada.

As a player, Jones won three provincial titles (1977-78, 1979-80, 1980-81) as a member of the York University men’s basketball team and was awarded the Kitch McPherson Trophy as most valuable player of the Ontario University Athletic Association (OUAA) championship game in 1981.  He was a two-time OUAA all-star (1980, 1981) and captured two Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union (CIAU) national championship bronze medals in 1978 and 1979.  Representing his country, Jones was a member of Canada’s silver medal winning team at the Commonwealth Games in New Zealand in 1983.

More than familiar with international basketball, Jones has called the action at several tournaments including the Canadian women’s team at the London 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship for Men.  Most recently, Jones was a member of the broadcast crew for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers.  He also covered basketball at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona for CTV.

MacNab is currently the Managing Director of NBA Canada and has worked for the league for nearly 15 years.  She is currently responsible for the development and growth of the league’s business in Canada, including television and digital media, marketing and retail partnerships, licensing, special events and basketball development.

Previously, MacNab served as the Senior Director of Global Marketing Partnerships for NBA Canada, a position she had held since 2015.  In that role, MacNab was responsible for new business, strategy and relationship management, and established some of the league’s biggest events in the country, including NBA Canada Series presented by Bell.

MacNab is a graduate of the University of Toronto (HBA, Political Science & French) and Ryerson University (Certificate, Marketing Management).

In 2018, MacNab was a recipient of the Canadian Sports Business “Five to Watch” Award, as one of the top sports executives in Canada under 40 years old.

Canada Basketball would like to extend their gratitude and appreciation to Joe Di Curzio and Niko Carino for their hard work and dedication to the board of directors.  The Canada Basketball Board of Directors consists of 11 members, including:

– Brian Cooper, Chair, MKTG (Chair)

– Rob Wright, President/Founding Partner, Mowbray, Wright Financial and IPC Investment Corporation (Vice-Chair)

– Brian Bidulka, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Postmedia Network Inc. (Treasurer)

– Shannon Hosford, Chief Marketing Officer, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment

– Paul Jones, Broadcaster, Sportsnet 590 The Fan & TSN 1050 

– Basil Kavanagh, Associate Professor, School of Human Kinetics & Recreation, Memorial University

– Scott Lake, Founder and CEO, Hello Ventures

– Leah MacNab, Managing Director, NBA Canada

– Wayne Parrish, Senior Vice President, Editorial, Torstar Corporation

– Candice Stasynec, Event Facilitator & Strategist, Always Game Consulting

– Masai Ujiri, President, Toronto Raptors

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For more information, contact:
Matt Walker, mwalker@basketball.ca