New Zealand basketball player Leon Henry won his fourth championship with National Basketball League team Wellington Saints just two weeks ago, but already he is vying for another – this time with the Ballarat Miners.
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The team’s newest import made his South East Australian Basketball League debut last Saturday in a win over Canberra as part of an effort to play every game left in the regular season to ensure eligibility for playoffs.
He woke at three in the morning to catch a flight from New Zealand to Melbourne, then drove to Ballarat for a quick introduction and shootaround with his new teammates before the game started.
“I was just glad to get over here and contribute four quarters, and to get the win was a good feeling,” Henry said.
“I’m just really excited to be here and the way that the team has welcomed me, and the fans and the community have welcomed me in, it has been really easy to adjust to.”
The 31-year-old has been playing professional basketball since he was 19, including with the New Zealand Breakers, Townsville Crocodiles in Australia’s national league, and in Europe.
The stint with the Miners is partly to stay in shape and prepare for what he hopes will be another season in Europe, but the promise of another championship pursuit has also tempted him.
“This year (with the Saints) was a special one because we went undefeated, we made history in New Zealand and it was a crazy ride,” Henry said.
“It was just good to walk away with a championship knowing that we earned what we had set our goal for at the beginning of the season.
“Hopefully some of my experiences with this past season... can rub off on the boys (at the Miners) and we can head in the right direction going into the playoffs.”
But Henry is still finding his feet with the Miners and working out how he best fits within the squad.
He hopes to add experience, help out with rebounding, bring energy and be a vocal presence, especially with a young group.
Henry said the team had warmly welcomed him.
“They make it easier off the court hanging out with them… just getting to know everyone is going to be key for us with our unity,” he said.
“Where the boys are positioned right now, it just goes to show the hard work they’ve put in prior to the season and going into the season to this point.”
Henry is set to play his second game against Mt Gambier on Saturday, a team the Miners lost to at home earlier in the season.
“That has been sitting in the back of their minds, so I know a lot of the boys are hungry to go out there and get this one,” he said.