Timmins playing for team his heart is in
BASKETBALL
SAM Timmins is finally back in blue and gold — and you can feel his excitement.
The 23yearold will make his first appearance in Otago colours since 2014 tomorrow at the National Basketball League’s 3x3 tournament in Invercargill.
He played twice for the Nuggets as a 15yearold, becoming the franchise’s youngest ever player.
A back injury forced him to miss the 2014 NBL, before he returned to play for the Otago under19 team later that year. That was a long time ago now. He had a stint in Canterbury as the Nuggets began their hiatus, before five years at the University of Washington.
On his return to New Zealand he signed with the Franklin Bulls for this year’s NBL, before the Nuggets’ lastminute return.
While he remained loyal to the contract he signed, it also proved to him where he wanted to be.
‘‘Playing for the Bulls made the decision [to play for the Nuggets] easier, to be honest,’’
the 2.11m centre said.
‘‘Being in the hotel and seeing the Otago team walking around, I was like ‘man, that should be me; I should be playing for Otago. I shouldn’t be representing anyone else, just because my heart’s not in it like it would be for Otago’.’’
Alongside him will be Josh Aitcheson and Richie Rodger — who he came through the agegrades with — and Kane Keil — who he played with on various New Zealand agegrade teams.
There was plenty of shooting