There has been a bit of National Basketball League news and reading in the past few days. Here is a quick wrap-up on where to cast your eyes:
- The NZ Herald has an interesting feature on New Zealand Breakers NBL champion big man Alex Pledger.
“I am confident and injury free and it reflects in the way I am playing. Last year I was troubled by a knee injury and it has taken a while to come right,” said Pledger. “The confidence comes from the great coaching I have had from Andrej [Lemanis; at the Breakers] and my team-mates and the coaching staff and team at the Pistons.”
- The North Shore Times in Sydney talks to new Sydney Kings swingman, Anatoly Bose.
“It means everything, that’s what every kid dreams of, growing up and playing in the NBA,” he said.
“I know I can get that far if I keep working hard, be patient and and do all the right things.
“I’ve just got to take it one day at a time, hopefully I can get there in the end.”
- NBL.com.au picked up on this update on MVP Gary Ervin‘s situation from the New York Post.
He’s been to 10 NBA workouts, including one a few years ago with the Philadelphia 76ers he felt was his best. An All-American out of Robeson, Ervin would like to play in Europe next season. Australia, he said, made that a possibility.
Ervin, who had previously played in the NBADL and Premier Basketball League in Canada, said he enjoyed his experience down under, though he mostly kept to himself.
“Getting MVP speaks for itself; that was one of the things I strived for,” he said. “It was a great stepping stone to get my career off to where I wanted it to be.”
- Subsequent to the departure of outgoing General Manager Bob Turner, the Sydney Kings announced the appointment of passionate club man David Wolf as the team’s new GM. Wolf, who has a strong history with the club in many capacities, brings his wealth of global communications experience to the role of Head of Sales & Commercial which will see him pursue sponsorship opportunities for the Kings. The team has previously been unable to secure a naming rights sponsor since their rebirth last year. Sydney Kings Executive Director Stephen Dunn, himself with a solid hand on the reigns of the club’s management team, had nothing but praise for the incoming GM:
“David had been involved with the Sydney Kings in one role or another for the better part of 16 years and, when placed alongside his extensive corporate experience, was a natural choice for us when appointing this key commercial leadership position.” Stephen said
“He is an extremely well-credentialed marketing executive with more than 15 years experience in senior management and leadership positions in Australia, North America, and Asia.David has a proven management track-record in creating measurable and memorable brand and marketing campaigns, negotiating substantial sponsorship investment, and enhancing the corporate reputation of every major company with which he has worked,” Stephen said.
“David’s global experience, and his previous first hand knowledge of conducting sponsorship negotiations with the NBL, NRL and the Commonwealth Games among many others, as well as his standing in the Australian business community, will serve the Sydney Kings’ interests very well as we enter our second season back in the NBL,” he added.
“David is one of those rare individuals who has been able to translate a childhood passion into a career. One of David’s greatest achievements, and one that all basketball fans will appreciate, was his negotiation of the NBL naming rights sponsorship with Philips. This commitment brought stability to the game and substantial knock-on sponsorship to the Sydney Kings.
