Former skipper praised
JORDAN GERRANS DEPARTED Taipans skipper Cameron Gliddon has been met with nothing but respect and applause ahead of his first meeting against his old club tonight.
New and former teammates showered praise on the guard’s move, who was more than vindicated on Thursday evening when he led his new club to a huge road win to start the campaign.
But, if you wind the clock back to March of this year, in place of respect and applause was disappointment and confusion.
After six seasons with the Far North club, Gliddon accepted an offer to join Brisbane without listening to an offer from the Snakes.
“While disappointed that Gliddon did not afford the club an opportunity to present an offer, he did communicate a desire to change his environment after spending six years here,” Taipans chief executive Mark Beecroft said at the time.
After Gliddon underwent off-season back surgery, Bullets high performance and development manager Mick Downer says the West Australian seemed like a new man.
“He has got a great reputation through the sport; he is a hard worker, smart player and good guy,” Downer said.
“He developed from being a young college kid coming back to Australia into a captain of a basketball club.
“He grew up as a man and as a pro player, overcoming some issues with his body too.
“He is in the prime of his career now.”
The man who replaced Gliddon as Taipans captain, Alex Loughton, cheekily pointed to his former teammate’s recent back surgery to relieve a bulging disc issue.
“I have played a lot of basketball with Cam Gliddon but it will be good fun and a challenge to play against him,” Loughton said.
“He will be looking to take it to his old team; we will certainly not be holding back.
“Hopefully a few back picks might loosen him up in the back court.”
New Bullets teammate Stephen Holt says Gliddon has brought professionalism to Brisbane.
“He intrigued me coming back to Brisbane, playing with a guy of that basketball IQ as well as being a good shooter,” Holt said. Now that I have got to know him on a personal level, he is a leader and a good locker room guy.”