Coach rejoins but import rule rankles Saints owner
Kevin Braswell will be back at the Wellington Saints next season, provided he has a team to coach.
Saints owner Nick Mills confirmed yesterday the 38-year-old American had re-signed on a twoyear deal, with an option for both parties to get out after one season if they wanted to.
Braswell guided the Saints to back-to-back National Basketball League titles in his first two seasons in charge, including a perfect 20-0 season this year.
But Mills has been left miffed by a proposed rule change which could see the number of imports increased from two to three.
That would be contingent on the Oceania rule - which allowed one player from the Oceania confederation to play as a local - being scrapped, but Mills said he would have to re-evaluate his association with the league, which dates back to 1982, if the three import rule was put in place.
‘‘We’re all about Kiwis playing and we feel that the new rule - they haven’t made a decision yet, but they are looking at it - would be against what our ethos is.’’
Having three imports would run counter to what the league should be about: the promotion and development of New Zealand players.
‘‘That’s where we believe the league should be. You look at the two top teams, us and Southland, and then you look at this young Tall Blacks team performing so well at the Asia Cup. Shea Ili has developed with us and it’s that sort of thing that we stand for.’’
Ili has led the Tall Blacks to the Asia Cup quarterfinals, where they were to meet Jordan this morning. Their roster was almost exclusively comprised of NBL players.
Mills said it would be a ‘‘wait and see situation’’ now with regards to how he moved forward.
While anything was possible, it was very hard to see the Saints not