From left to right: Calvin Warner, Ed Horton, Tiras Wade. Photography by Gary Lloyd McCullough.
The Jacksonville Giants announced that Ed Horton, Calvin Warner, and Tiras Wade have left the organization to play for other Professional basketball teams located in other Countries. “The Giants organization is very proud of these three players’ accomplishments and wish them the best of luck in their professional basketball careers,” said Giants owner Ron Sholes.
Ed Horton, who was the Giants’ second-leading scorer this season, re-signed with the London Lighting in Ontario. Horton played for the Lightning briefly last season. Known by Jacksonville fans as “Hollywood”, Horton was a great asset to the Giants both on and off the court. His long range three point shots and great defensive skills frequently energized the Jacksonville home crowds. Horton also played on the Giants 2012-2013 National Championship team.
“…I think that Ed has a lot of qualities that will help us get over the hump and help us progress. He knows our system, he knows the guys, the guys like him, I like him,” said Lightning coach Kyle Julius. “He’s a leader, hard-nosed defender, he’s a proven scorer, and he’s a good dressing room guy.”
Tiras Wade signed with the Huellas Del Siglo of the Dominican Republic. Wade played shooting guard for a brief part of the season in Jacksonville. A 6’6 shooting guard from Tampa, Florida, Wade brought great athletic abilities to the Giants in his contributions of 14 points in an 112-102 win over Richmond on February 12th and 16 points in a heartbreaking 113-112 loss in the game that followed against the DMV Warriors.
Calvin Warner was an aggressive inside threat for the Giants this season. Warner recently signed with the GlobalPort Bantang Pier of the Philippines. In his most recent game, with GlobalPort Bantang, Warner scored a season-high 29 points. While in Jacksonville, Warner played center and contributed highly in the rebounding department, as well as the inside shooting game. Some of Warner’s notable performances for the Giants include his 13 point effort in a 112-108 win over the Chicago Steam. Warner also had a team-high 15 points in a win over the Southwest Warriors.