Christmas hoping to be a cracker
Advice from friends sees ex-NBA centre in move to Breakers I am just here to contribute as much as I can while I’m here.
Advice from an old friend and a desire to reunite with DJ Newbill were enough to convince Rakeem Christmas to sign for the Breakers.
The 2.06m (6ft 7in) centre played 29 games for the Indiana Pacers in the NBA last season and has spent the past few months playing in Turkey. He consulted long-time friend, Eric Devendorf, who has played a lot of basketball in New Zealand, and Breakers star Newbill before agreeing to the move.
“Eric Devendorf played here and I played with him at Syracuse and he called me about the situation,” Christmas told th Herald. “And I knew D J Newbill so I spoke to him about it and I thought it would be a good fit.
“I’ve known DJ since high school, growing up in Philly [Philadelphia]. I just want to come out here and have fun and play with him again.
“I just know they needed more of a physical presence. D J called me and said we need someone to come in and do all the little things — set screens, rebound, play defence and score if I have to score.
“I am just here to contribute as much as I can while I’m here.”
Christmas is the Auckland club’s most notable signing having played more games in the NBA than any Breaker besides Awvee Storey, who played at the club in the late 2000s, but insists he isn’t here to try to rejuvenate his NBA career.
“I don’t look at it that way,” the 36th pick [Minnesota Timberwolves] in the 2015 NBA draft said. “I just want to come here and play and have fun and see what happens.
“This is just another chapter in the story. I have been through a lot already — ups and downs. I just want to come here, play my game and see what happens.”
He admits his NBA experience will help him, however.
“It will help me a lot — I played against and with a lot of great players — Al Jefferson, Myles Turner and Zach Randolph. You learn a great deal doing that.”
Christmas brings more of a physi- cal threat to the centre position that Alex Pledger and Rob Loe have manned so far this season.
“I like to be physical, play defence, set hard screens for my teammates to get open, try block shots and just finish around the basket,” Christmas said.
Having arrived in New Zealand on Monday, Christmas is trying to acclimatise ahead of his club debut against the Illawarra Hawks on Saturday night.
And he will need a crash course on New Zealand culture.
“I didn’t know that much — I knew that Steve Irwin was from out here,” he replied when asked what he knew of New Zealand.
“I do know Steven Adams — I played against him in college,” Christmas said with a laugh when told the late Irwin was from Australia.
“He is a great player and I’ve heard he’s a big deal out here.”
Rakeem Christmas