BURSTGrowing up in the Fleetwood area of Surrey, Milan Mann remembers playing hoops in the driveway with pals.
“I wasn’t the best (player) by any means, but I tried to make the most of the minutes I got,” on teams at North Surrey Secondary, Mann told the Now-Leader in a phone call.
“I was joking around, you know, kind of prior to taking an ownership position, that if I can’t be Kobe, I’ll try to be Dr. Buss,” he said, referring to two Los Angeles Lakers legends (star player Kobe Bryant, former team owner Jerry Buss).
On Sunday (Nov. 16), Mann was introduced as a third partner of the Vancouver Bandits ownership group, alongside Kevin Dhaliwal, president of Essence Properties, and Bryan Slusarchuk, principal of SluzCap, with Bandits Sports & Entertainment (BSE).
The Bandits, B.C.’s Canadian Elite Basketball League team, play home games at Langley Events Centre.
Since purchasing the Bandits in September 2022 and moving the team from Abbotsford, Dhaliwal and Slusarchuk have helped guide the franchise through four solid seasons (spring/summer), resulting in a 2025 CEBL Franchise of the Year award.
Mann, prominent in B.C. construction and real estate industries with Coquitlam-based BM Group, said investing in the Bandits and CEBL was a logical next step for him, and a dream come true as a longtime basketball fan.
“Since the Bandits moved to Langley, I’ve been a sponsor and I have some courtside seats as an avid basketball fan, so I’ve always been involved with the team,” Mann noted. “The team co-ownership discussions, that started almost four years back, I guess, and we circled back this year, with everything signed, sealed and delivered at the end of September.”
Mann, who celebrated his 30th birthday Saturday (Nov. 15), did not want to divulge any numbers of his deal to get involved in Bandits co-ownership.
“I think for us the ROI is a bit secondary,” he said when asked about return-on-investment expectations. “Our ROI is creating an atmosphere and quality of basketball that we haven’t got in almost 30 years,” he said, referring to the NBA Vancouver Grizzlies, now in Memphis.
“Our ROI is seeing the skill and progression of basketball locally take the next step, and hopefully in a few years maybe we have our own SGA (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, star with Oklahoma City Thunder) come out of Vancouver and dominate the league. Why can’t we? And if we can play a small part in facilitating that, by getting the next generation more interested in basketball and maybe creating some programming with the schools and other groups in the community, I think that’s kind of the return we’re looking for.”
Bandits team president Dylan Kular calls Mann “the definition of a builder, not just in business but in community.… Milan coming on board is more fuel to our mission: to grow the game, elevate basketball in B.C., and create a franchise our province is proud of. We are thrilled to welcome him into the ownership group as we take our next step.”
Mann wants to help guide the team to their first CEBL championship.
“Anyone who has experienced a Bandits game, I think they leave pleasantly surprised and looking forward to the next game,” he raved.
Now living in Aldergrove, Mann said playing basketball in Surrey was a formative experience in his life.
“I didn’t really have college or professional goals or anything, but basketball did teach me a lot, playing in the Steve Nash leagues as a youth and just really falling in love with the game,” said Mann, who remembers seeing a Grizzlies game or two as a kid.
“I probably remember the mascot (Grizz) more than anything,” he said with a laugh. “It’s kind of a full-circle moment now, kind of surreal, where I’m kind of creating the same feeling for somebody else (as pro team co-owner). I’m just 25 years ahead of another boy or girl who’s attending a basketball game for the first time, so it’s kind of a special feeling to help make that happen now with the Bandits.”