Post by fanblade on May 15, 2007 13:35:09 GMT -5
Knight's sights on NBA
By ROB SHAW , Wednesday, 16 May 2007
Former Burnie boy on track to the top
MATTHEW Knight's girlfriend Kirsten Segal has been comparing the delights of Burnie with her home town of Los Angeles this week.
"She said she loves it here," said Knight. "But I'm not sure if she was just being nice."
This represents something of a role reversal for the couple as former Burnie Tigers basketballer Knight has spent considerably longer getting acclimatised to LA.
The 21-year-old has just graduated from Loyola Marymount University and heads back to California on Monday where he intends to continue his push towards the toughest basketball league on the planet.
The Tasmanian and Australian Institute of Sport athlete will immediately begin working on skills development ahead of training with the LA Clippers on June 2 which he hopes will lead to an invite to the NBA draft and possibly a club contract.
If that does not work out, plan B involves heading to Europe, and probably the continent's toughest national competition in Spain.
But before the delights of the Pacific and the Mediterranean, Knight has been entertaining home crowds along the more familiar Bass Strait. He has twice turned out for his old team in the NWBU and tonight plays for City Rockets against Japara in the LSBL at Elphin Sports Centre.
"It's a long time since I've played at Elphin and it'll be a funny feeling running out there again," he said.
"Last Tuesday night when I played for Burnie my dad told me it was the biggest crowd they've had there for quite a while so it's good for the sport.
"I don't get to see my family and friends that often so it's great to be back."
Knight stays in contact with other ex-pat Tasmanian basketballers in the US, including Launceston pair Nic Campbell and Lucas Walker, and said they all owed a debt to their home State's basketball system.
"There's a lot of Tasmanians over in America, there are some very strong numbers coming through," he said.
"I think that's due to our junior programmes over here that have set us up for where we are now."
www.examiner.com.au/story.asp?id=399613
By ROB SHAW , Wednesday, 16 May 2007
Former Burnie boy on track to the top
MATTHEW Knight's girlfriend Kirsten Segal has been comparing the delights of Burnie with her home town of Los Angeles this week.
"She said she loves it here," said Knight. "But I'm not sure if she was just being nice."
This represents something of a role reversal for the couple as former Burnie Tigers basketballer Knight has spent considerably longer getting acclimatised to LA.
The 21-year-old has just graduated from Loyola Marymount University and heads back to California on Monday where he intends to continue his push towards the toughest basketball league on the planet.
The Tasmanian and Australian Institute of Sport athlete will immediately begin working on skills development ahead of training with the LA Clippers on June 2 which he hopes will lead to an invite to the NBA draft and possibly a club contract.
If that does not work out, plan B involves heading to Europe, and probably the continent's toughest national competition in Spain.
But before the delights of the Pacific and the Mediterranean, Knight has been entertaining home crowds along the more familiar Bass Strait. He has twice turned out for his old team in the NWBU and tonight plays for City Rockets against Japara in the LSBL at Elphin Sports Centre.
"It's a long time since I've played at Elphin and it'll be a funny feeling running out there again," he said.
"Last Tuesday night when I played for Burnie my dad told me it was the biggest crowd they've had there for quite a while so it's good for the sport.
"I don't get to see my family and friends that often so it's great to be back."
Knight stays in contact with other ex-pat Tasmanian basketballers in the US, including Launceston pair Nic Campbell and Lucas Walker, and said they all owed a debt to their home State's basketball system.
"There's a lot of Tasmanians over in America, there are some very strong numbers coming through," he said.
"I think that's due to our junior programmes over here that have set us up for where we are now."
www.examiner.com.au/story.asp?id=399613
