CLEVELAND — The Charge NBA G League will begin playing home games at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center starting with the 2021-22 NBA G League Season in November after the team announced Wednesday that it did not extend its lease at the Canton Memorial Civic Center, according to a news release from the team's spokesperson.
The Charge played nine seasons at the Civic Center, which served as the first home venue for the team after the franchise was acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers organization, relocated from New Mexico and began playing in Canton as the Charge in 2011.
“We’re very thankful for the seasons we played at the Civic Center in Canton. We enjoyed some truly special moments there with our players, staff and fans alike,” said Charge General Manager Brendon Yu. “As we look to the future, we’re very pleased to now be able to continue the growth of the Charge at the Wolstein Center. The proximity to Cleveland Clinic Courts and Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse creates an enhanced synergy between the two teams and will foster even greater personnel development that will be very impactful for us.”
Canton Mayor Thomas Bernabei said the city worked hard to keep the team playing at the Civic Center but ultimately the decision came down to the desire to be closer to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“I am, of course, disappointed that the Charge will no longer be playing in Canton. We had open and professional conversations with Charge management about extending their lease and staying,” said Bernabei. “However, their move is stimulated by a desire to be in much closer proximity to the Cavaliers’ core center of operations. We worked hard at keeping them here, but I appreciate their openness in our conversations, respect their decision and sincerely wish them well. We also appreciate their continued commitment and expansion of youth and community programming and support here. We thank them for an exciting run at the Civic Center and will remain Charge and Cavs fans.”
The move from Canton to Cleveland to be closer to their NBA franchise home venues and training centers follows a trend in the G League. The most recent examples are in Washington and Detroit where more than half of the teams in the G League relocated closer than 30 miles from the NBA parent club game arenas. The role of the G League within the NBA continues to expand as 60% of players now in the NBA have played in the G League, according to the Charge organization.
The Charge will now be able to practice at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and at Cleveland Clinic Courts, as well as utilize the treatment benefits and extended facility spaces at both locations.
Details on the team name, logos and merchandise will be announced in the near future. Current Charge Nation ticket Members will be contacted directly on options for the upcoming season.
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