Maine Red Claws president named the top team executive in NBA's G League
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Maine Celtics President Dajuan Eubanks
While Maine’s professional basketball team, the Red Claws, is sitting out a rescheduled season that began Wednesday night, their president has racked up a victory.
The NBA’s development team conference, the G League, on Tuesday named Dajuan Eubanks as Team Executive of the Year for the 2019-20 season, according to a news release.
The league gives the award annually to recognize the leader of a successful team based on nominations from presidents of the 28 G League squads. Eubanks earned the honor “after a winning Red Claws season both on and off the court,” the release said.
The G League usually plays a 50-game schedule from November to March, but postponed 2020-21 competition because of the pandemic. Only 18 of the teams are now participating in an abbreviated season, and the Boston Celtics, the Red Claws' parent franchise, opted for the Maine team to stay home.
But last season was a successful one for Maine and for Eubanks. A member of the Red Claws organization since its first season in 2009, he helped guide the team through its sale to the Celtics in October 2019. The Red Claws ranked first in the G League’s Atlantic Division before the pandemic forced the season to be suspended last March.
Under Eubanks’ leadership, attendance at Red Claws games last season increased 30%, with fans filling the stands at the Portland Expo to 97% capacity and resulting in sellouts for 16 of 19 home games, according to the release.
Off the court, the Red Claws in May teamed up with TD Bank and the Celtics’ Shamrock Foundation to launch “Fueling the Frontline,” a six-week community initiative supporting local restaurants and providing meals to essential workers.
“It’s an honor to receive this award, in particular to be recognized by my peers,” Eubanks said in the release. “This is truly a team effort. I appreciate everyone’s support, and I look forward to continued success within the Boston Celtics organization.”
Boston Celtics Team President Rich Gotham said, “It’s been a pleasure working with Dajuan and his team at the Red Claws. We’re proud to see him recognized for leading the team to new heights both on and off the court.”
Eubanks is the second Red Claws president to win Team Executive of the Year, after Jon Jennings won the award in Maine’s inaugural 2009-10 season. Jennings now serves as city manager of Portland.
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