Whippy frozen out of Rams NBL side
The wife of former Canterbury Rams captain Marques Whippy has called out the National Basketball League team following his unexplained axing, asking for ‘‘the truth’’ to come out.
Experienced Fijian forward Whippy and the Rams parted ways three weeks ago. Canterbury inferred Whippy was retiring and ‘‘hanging up his #44 Rams singlet’’ in a statement.
The Rams begin their season’s campaign last night against the Super City Rangers at Cowles Stadium.
Whippy’s wife, Valme`ne, took to social media and said this wasn’t the case. She voiced her displeasure at the Rams’ poor treatment of her husband and hoped ‘‘the truth’’ came out. Her post has since been removed.
The Whippy family will leave Christchurch in July and move to the South Pacific island of Bora Bora in French Polynesia, northwest of Tahiti, Valme`ne’s home.
The 32-year-old Whippy has been a cornerstone of the Rams since they rejoined the NBL after the earthquakes, co-captaining the side and playing in 56 games between 2015-17.
Whippy, a popular and respected figure in Canterbury basketball, has also been employed by the Rams as a coach in their Mainland Eagles academy programme.
His image has been used on billboards around the city to promote the Rams’ home game at Horncastle Arena against the Wellington Saints on June 8.
‘‘Just to let all Canterbury Rams fans out there know that my husband didn’t retire from playing for the Canterbury Rams.
‘‘It’s a shame that he is on most of the Canterbury Rams posters/ flyers, but won’t even get any playing time. 2 (sic) weeks before the season starts, the team told my husband that he will be replaced this season,’’ Valme` ne wrote.
‘‘That is so unfair on him. If he wanted to retire from playing basketball and ‘focus on his family’ he would have done so when we had our first child. All we ask is for the truth Rams, and Marques retiring is DEFINITELY not the truth.’’
Whippy declined to comment when contacted, saying he didn’t want to ‘‘burn any bridges’’.
Rams director Andrew Harrison did not respond to requests for comment.
Whippy re-signed with the Rams in late August for what was supposed to be his fourth season with the team.
Under new NBL rules Whippy is classified as an import this season with Oceania players no longer permitted to play in the league as locals.
Teams are allowed to sign three restricted (not eligible to play for New Zealand) players.
At the time, the Rams were happy to include Whippy as an import with Harrison telling Stuff: ‘‘He’s a Ram for as long as he wants to be a Ram.
‘‘Marques is a core part of who we are. He’s a huge part of the basketball community here.’’
The Rams opted to move in a different direction with their imports late in pre-season, adding American forward Julian Washburn on April 18 as their third restricted player.
Several former NBL players criticised the Rams on Twitter after seeing Valme`ne’s post, including ex-Canterbury player Inga Solofuti.
‘‘For this to happen to the nicest guy who has gone beyond and above for this team and the community of Canterbury is why I’m a bit peeved & for them to have the audacity to ask him to stay on and do their coaching is just classless when he obviously still wants to and can play,’’ Solofuti wrote.
The Rams have a vastly revamped squad for the 2018 season with only two players returning, promising youngsters Max Darling and Max de Geest.
Last season’s co-captain and homegrown talent, Tall Black Ethan Rusbatch, is at the Bay Hawks, while Tongan sharpshooter Marcus Alipate and American imports McKenzie Moore and Jeremy Kendle have all moved on.
Naturalised forward Marcel Jones, who was in the NBL All Star Five in 2016 and 2017 while at the Rams, has joined the Manawatu¯ Jets.