Rising stars on show
CAIRNS basketball prodigy Tamuri Wigness was on show in front of countless NBA scouts across the weekend at the 2018 NBA G League Winter Showcase.
The G League is the second tier competition to the NBA in the USA and part of the annual showcase, athletes from NBA Global Academies scrimmaged over two days, for the first time ever at the event.
As many as 26 emerging players from the NBA Academies in Africa, India, China, Latin America and Australia conducted two scrimmages on the Friday and Saturday mornings. The Far North point guard was one of four Australians on show, alongside Taran Armstrong, another ball handling guard, Anyang Garang and Blake Jones.
The NBA Academies are the league’s network of elite basketball training centres for top prospects from outside the US. Wigness and the fellow prospects scrimmaged against one another, participated in the 2018 Tarkanian Classic and received life-skills programming focusing on education, leadership, health and wellness, and character development.
■ Port Douglas ruckman Joshua Wilson and his Wanderers’ teammates finals hopes are still alive after a comefrom-behind 32-point victory over Tiwi at TIO Stadium on Saturday. Wanderers coach Peter Leonard said his troops “dug deep” to secure the 14.15 (99) to 9.13 (67) win, their third of 2018-19.
On Sunday, Palmerston flew into the NTFL top five when Manunda Hawks star Ezekiel Frank booted a spectacular goal after the siren. Frank’s 45m drop punt sailed through to give his side a thrilling one-point win over Waratah in their Premier League clash at Gardens Oval.
“I stopped in my first run-up to suck in my breath because I was a bit puffed,’’ Frank said.
■ Aron Baynes’ old club snapped the Boston Celtics’ eight-game winning streak on Sunday afternoon.
Blake Griffin scored 27 points to help the Detroit Pistons beat Boston 113-104.
The Far North product grabbed four rebounds and dropped 10 points in 18 minutes on the court in the defeat.