Basketballer hoping to slamdunk US tryouts
Tue 02 May 2006
Jonathan Williams, Journalism
One of the country’s most talented youngsters, former Sunshine Coast basketball star Brad Newley, is about to try his luck on the world’s biggest basketball stage, the US National Basketball Association (NBA).
It has been a meteoric rise for Newley. The Sunshine Coast Clippers junior and Mountain Creek High School product is on the verge of a dream come true, a try-out with an NBA team.
Hoping to emulate fellow Australian and last year’s number one NBA draft pick Andrew Bogut, Newly will travel to the US in June to take part in this year’s draft.
"At the moment I intend to nominate for the draft," Newley told The Daily Telegraph’s Tim Morrissey earlier this year.
Newly intends to travel to the US in May to try out for a few teams.
From lanky teen to potential NBA player, Newly is likely to play a big part in this year’s world championships.
Currently playing for the Townsville Crocodiles he is considered one of the country’s best players having taken an important role in Australia’s gold medal winning Commonwealth Games team.
After winning Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL) 2004/05 Rookie of the Year award, the 21-year-old had a relatively slow start to last season by his high standards, but a heart-to-heart with his father over Christmas turned things around.
"We were talking about the rest of the season, he said just go out, work as hard as you can. This is the biggest part of your life now," Newley said.
It was that talk among other things that has Newly poised to take the ultimate step. While still contracted to the Crocodiles, Newley has the blessing of his club if he succeeds.
Townsville Crocodiles’ coach, Trevor Gleeson, told the NBL website: “I’ll do everything I can possibly do to help Brad, we know it’s a huge goal of his and we are prepared to wait for him to make a decision and for what is in his best interests.
“The thing Brad has to gauge is if he is a good chance in the first round this year. He’ll get a good idea from his training camps over there if he is likely to get picked up in the first round,” Gleeson said.
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