Isaac
Years ago
HSH: Maher to make playing comeback
Maher to play, Bradtke to coach, HSH stealing thunder from NBL finals:
Maher to Play for Fleet, Bradtke to Coach Pythons
'Foot Locker Elite Classic - High Stakes Hoops' welcomes more Greats of the Game
NBL legend Brett Maher today announced a comeback to basketball to play in the ‘Foot Locker Elite Classic - High Stakes Hoops’ from April 6-11th at the Adelaide Dome. Meanwhile, fellow future Hall-of-Fame doyen Mark Bradkte has committed to coach Buddy Franklin’s Pythons team.
The joint announcement, made today in Adelaide, sees the ‘Foot Locker Elite Classic - High Stakes Hoops’ continue to gather massive momentum in advance of next week’s ticket sale release.
Maher, who graced the court for the Adelaide 36ers for 18 years and represented Australia at three Olympic Games and a World Championship, retired at the conclusion of the 2008-2009 NBL Season. The court at the Adelaide Dome was promptly named in his honour. He will now step on to that very court for a week of basketball that is sure to excite the Adelaide faithful.
Maher, who had previously committed to coach the Fleet, will pull on the team’s uniform having taken on low-profile shooting & conditioning sessions in recent weeks to gauge his readiness for a playing role. The innovative format has is seemingly made for Maher. The ‘Game Breaker’ rule (three-point shots worth four for a short period of each game - basketball’s equivalent to cricket’s ‘power play’) and 48 minute games with few timeouts point to high-scoring, free-flowing games. Maher called ECB officials late last week and confidentially declared he wanted to step out and be a part of the unique event, broadcast live and in its entirety on ONE.
"I’m really looking forward to pulling my boots back on and getting out there" Maher said today at the press conference overlooking the court which became his second home over nearly two decades. “The lure of this whole event was too great to pass up. The prize money that’s been brought to the table, the format, the excitement of the event, the broadcasting live on ONE, even the fact that all players are eligible to compete in the ‘$10,000 Game Breaker Challenge’, it was all just very enticing. I had planned to coach the Fleet obviously, but the more I thought about it, the more I started to believe I wanted to be a greater part of it. I spoke to Jeff about it last week, took my time with the decision, and I’m totally committed now to helping the Fleet by playing”, Maher stated.
Bradtke, who retired after winning his third NBL Championship in 2008 with the Brisbane Bullets, played 554 games predominately with the Melbourne Tigers. He retired as the NBL’s all-time leading rebounder and its 2002 Most Valuable Player. He also broke into various overseas elite competitions including the NBA (Philadelphia 76ers) and Europe, and represented Australia at four Olympic Games and two World Championships. Bradtke began his professional career in Adelaide in 1988 and now returns to play his part in this unique basketball event.
Bradtke has missed the game and is looking forward to a return to the competitive nature that was a part of his life for well over 20 years.
“I like the concept, the format and the excitement that this event is generating. I want to be a part of it, and I’m happy to help Buddy out by coaching the Pythons. It’s going to be a lot of fun, but like everyone, we’ll be there to give ourselves a shot at winning it, that’s the idea. I think the broadcast element with ONE, the unique rules, it‘s all good for the game”, Bradtke concluded.
