RAPTORS 905 ANNOUNCE NEW ADDITIONS TO COACHING STAFF

Charles Kissi, Demetris Nichols, Noah Lewis, Matt Gray, and Christian Siakam join Arsalan Jamil 

Raptors 905, the NBA G League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors, announced Monday its coaching staff for the 2022-23 season. Joining head coach Eric Khoury’s staff are Charles Kissi, Demetris Nichols, Noah Lewis, Matt Gray, and Christian Siakam. Assistant coach Arsalan Jamil returns to the bench for his fifth season.

Kissi returns to Raptors 905 after spending the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants (NBAG). He began his coaching career as a volunteer coach with Ryerson University (USports) before being selected as the Rams’ women’s basketball head coach. Following his stint at Ryerson, Kissi was named head coach of the Brock University (USports) men’s basketball team in 2013, a role he held until 2018. Kissi made the transition to professional basketball in 2018 as a member of former 905 head coach Jama Mahlalela’s bench. In 2019, Kissi was named the general manager and head coach of the Guelph Night Hawks (CEBL) where he led his team to three consecutive playoff appearances.

Nichols brings over 15 years of basketball experience to Raptors 905 as a player and coach. He most recently was a member of Jim Boeheim’s bench at his alma mater Syracuse University (NCAA) before joining the Toronto Raptors as an assistant coach at NBA Summer League. Prior to his coaching career, Nichols played professionally in the NBA (Cleveland, Chicago, and New York), the G League (Iowa and Sioux Falls) and overseas in France, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Russia, Greece, Croatia, and Italy until his retirement in 2019. From 2003-07, Nichols attended Syracuse helping lead the team to back-to-back Big East championships (2005, 2006). Nichols currently holds the Syracuse record for 3-point field goal percentage in a single season (.417).

Lewis joins the Raptors 905 bench after being selected as one of the Wayne and Theresa Embry fellows in the 2021-22 season. He spent the season with the Toronto Raptors in various capacities, working closely with the coaching and development staff. Prior to joining the Raptors, Lewis returned to his alma mater Mount Royal University as a member of the men’s basketball coaching staff while coaching with the Calgary Basketball Association. The Vancouver Island native spent five seasons (2012-18) with the MRU Cougars (USports) where he was a five-time CIS Academic All-Canadian and graduated with a Bachelor of Health and Physical Education. Lewis has also earned his Master of Sports Business with distinction from Loughborough University.

Gray joins Coach Khoury’s staff after spending the 2021-22 season as a video coordinator for the Boston College (NCAA) men’s basketball team. Prior to his time at BC, Gray was a graduate assistant at Baylor University (NCAA) for two seasons. In the 2020-21 season, Gray helped lead the Bears to a Big 12 and National Championship. In the same year, Baylor saw two players selected in the 2021 NBA Draft. A Mississauga native, Gray graduated from the University of Waterloo where he was a student manager for the men’s basketball team.

Siakam joins Raptors 905 as an assistant coach after working closely with the team in the 2021-22 season. He spent five seasons (2007-12) with Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis while earning his degree in international studies. Upon graduation, Siakam went on to play professionally for Bahrain Club (2012-14), where he earned Most Improved Player honours in 2013 and again with the Malaysian club KL Dragons in 2014). He is the older brother of Raptors forward Pascal Siakam.

Raptors 905 now prepare for the 2022-23 NBA G League Draft on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, before opening training camp on Oct. 24, 2022. The team tips off its regular season Nov. 5, 2022, when the team travels to Washington D.C. to take on the Capital City Go-Go.