Latest news with #Vales
Sydney Morning Herald
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Why we couldn't get enough of Josh Giddey's low-key homecoming
That bloke? Yes, that bloke! And we all know the rest. Despite Giddey playing like – well, like an NBA superstar – his own team react to his blinder by being a little blinded themselves, while their opponents rise to the occasion and the Vales go down. No matter. This was not about the result. This was about a bloke wanting to play with his mates for the joy of the game, and so he did. Yes, the same bloke who, as we speak, might be about to sign a new five-year contract worth a lazy $250 million between friends – all of which would be put at serious risk if he sustained a serious injury in this match. But does he care? He does not. Gimme the ball! They gim him the ball, allowing every man-jack on the court to boast of the time he played with or against the man, the legend, the Vales Basketball player, Josh Giddey! True, we might all be overblowing a simple game of basketball, but the idea of superstars playing their sport at a low level for the sheer love of it has become something close to a trope. We cherish it because it is proof positive that the superstars have not lost their sporting soul, and so when it happens it is to be celebrated. Consider: Since retiring, Sweden's decorated striker Zlatan Ibrahimović has occasionally turned up for training and games with amateur teams in both Sweden and Italy. More famously, David Beckham once turned out for his son's youth team. Closer to home, if you are looking for genuine superstars who played in low-level community sport, let's not forget that Romario even played in our own A-League. (INCOMMMMMING!) More seriously, it is heartening every year to see rugby league players of the quality of Latrell Mitchell, Josh Addo-Carr and Cody Walker turn out for the Koori Knockout. Tennis? Back in 2017, Serena Williams was walking by a local court in San Francisco when she noted two good male players finishing up a match. Could she play the winner? Sure! And a good time was had by all. The second-best of the genre, even if it was for a soft-drink ad, was when another NBA superstar in Kyrie Irving got himself made up as a very old man – 'Uncle Drew' – and manoeuvred to get himself included in a pick-up game on his local court as the secret cameras rolled. For the first couple of minutes, he indeed played like an old man – before suddenly exploding into action and wiping the court of young punks, who never gave him no respect. For the sheer fun of it, it is seriously worth watching. The best of the lot though, in my experience, was recalled by your correspondent on the occasion of the tragic early death of the great All Black No.8 Jerry Collins, in a car accident in 2015. Back in 2007, I had written about how Collins had played a game of reserve grade for a village team in England, the Barnstaple Seconds, in their match against Newton Abbott – simply because he had been taking some R&R nearby, had been asked, and wanted to help out. Loading Of course Collins dropped back four gears so as not to destroy the game. Yet at one point, when the Newton Abbot wing Aidan Tolley was about to score, the ball tucked under his left arm and his right arm raised in celebration, Collins's killer instinct was too strong. 'He didn't see me coming,' Collins told the Sunday Times. 'I caught him in the air, faced him the other way and carried him back a few yards. He said, 'Damn, it, you could have let me score that.' 'I couldn't help myself,' I said.' Late in the game, it was one of Barnstaple's props who couldn't help himself. The prop was injured and waiting for a stretcher to remove him, when he noted a concerned Collins standing over him. 'Any chance of a photo, Jerry?' he said. Collins obliged, lying on the ground next to him for the photo to be taken. Once the game was over, Collins went back to the clubhouse and got to know his fellow reserve-graders. They bonded further. And Collins made a decision. 'I have asked the Barnstaple guys,' Collins told the Times, 'if it would be OK for me to wear their socks when I play for the Barbarians against South Africa at Twickenham. I have played for the club and it's something I would like to do.'
The Age
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Why we couldn't get enough of Josh Giddey's low-key homecoming
That bloke? Yes, that bloke! And we all know the rest. Despite Giddey playing like – well, like an NBA superstar – his own team react to his blinder by being a little blinded themselves, while their opponents rise to the occasion and the Vales go down. No matter. This was not about the result. This was about a bloke wanting to play with his mates for the joy of the game, and so he did. Yes, the same bloke who, as we speak, might be about to sign a new five-year contract worth a lazy $250 million between friends – all of which would be put at serious risk if he sustained a serious injury in this match. But does he care? He does not. Gimme the ball! They gim him the ball, allowing every man-jack on the court to boast of the time he played with or against the man, the legend, the Vales Basketball player, Josh Giddey! True, we might all be overblowing a simple game of basketball, but the idea of superstars playing their sport at a low level for the sheer love of it has become something close to a trope. We cherish it because it is proof positive that the superstars have not lost their sporting soul, and so when it happens it is to be celebrated. Consider: Since retiring, Sweden's decorated striker Zlatan Ibrahimović has occasionally turned up for training and games with amateur teams in both Sweden and Italy. More famously, David Beckham once turned out for his son's youth team. Closer to home, if you are looking for genuine superstars who played in low-level community sport, let's not forget that Romario even played in our own A-League. (INCOMMMMMING!) More seriously, it is heartening every year to see rugby league players of the quality of Latrell Mitchell, Josh Addo-Carr and Cody Walker turn out for the Koori Knockout. Tennis? Back in 2017, Serena Williams was walking by a local court in San Francisco when she noted two good male players finishing up a match. Could she play the winner? Sure! And a good time was had by all. The second-best of the genre, even if it was for a soft-drink ad, was when another NBA superstar in Kyrie Irving got himself made up as a very old man – 'Uncle Drew' – and manoeuvred to get himself included in a pick-up game on his local court as the secret cameras rolled. For the first couple of minutes, he indeed played like an old man – before suddenly exploding into action and wiping the court of young punks, who never gave him no respect. For the sheer fun of it, it is seriously worth watching. The best of the lot though, in my experience, was recalled by your correspondent on the occasion of the tragic early death of the great All Black No.8 Jerry Collins, in a car accident in 2015. Back in 2007, I had written about how Collins had played a game of reserve grade for a village team in England, the Barnstaple Seconds, in their match against Newton Abbott – simply because he had been taking some R&R nearby, had been asked, and wanted to help out. Loading Of course Collins dropped back four gears so as not to destroy the game. Yet at one point, when the Newton Abbot wing Aidan Tolley was about to score, the ball tucked under his left arm and his right arm raised in celebration, Collins's killer instinct was too strong. 'He didn't see me coming,' Collins told the Sunday Times. 'I caught him in the air, faced him the other way and carried him back a few yards. He said, 'Damn, it, you could have let me score that.' 'I couldn't help myself,' I said.' Late in the game, it was one of Barnstaple's props who couldn't help himself. The prop was injured and waiting for a stretcher to remove him, when he noted a concerned Collins standing over him. 'Any chance of a photo, Jerry?' he said. Collins obliged, lying on the ground next to him for the photo to be taken. Once the game was over, Collins went back to the clubhouse and got to know his fellow reserve-graders. They bonded further. And Collins made a decision. 'I have asked the Barnstaple guys,' Collins told the Times, 'if it would be OK for me to wear their socks when I play for the Barbarians against South Africa at Twickenham. I have played for the club and it's something I would like to do.'
The Age
06-05-2025
- Sport
- The Age
‘Listen, we've got six': How an NBA star came to play on a Monday night in Frankston – and why it almost didn't happen
'I thought about benching him when he missed a lay-up,' Monaghan joked. 'But no, no … he got a couple of great blocks and as always his assists – very, very generous with his time.' Giddey has enjoyed a career season with the Bulls, averaging 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game, and is line for a bumper new five-year contract where he could earn more than $250 million. The 22-year-old, now a restricted free agent, is currently on a four-year contract worth about $42 million. His presence, however, wasn't enough for Vales to get the win. 'It was an unreal experience. We just started warming up and one of our guys was like 'look who's in the stands'. And we were like 'oh no, this game's not going to go our way',' opposition player Jesse Lans told Sharnelle and Bob on ABC Melbourne. 'But we pulled through, and we had a few really big scoring performances. I had 41 [points] and Blake Jackson had 50.' Asked if he'd gotten the better of the NBA star, Lans said: 'It felt like it. Honestly, if there was a time not to miss a shot, that was it.' Monaghan explained: 'We were stuck in second gear. Everybody was caught watching. And the others were fantastic. Youth league players, playing on the other team, absolutely lit it up, and when we realised that we probably should have been playing a bit more [defence], it was a bit late.' She said Giddey had been called for a carry – 'a big call by the ref' – but Giddey had agreed with the decision. 'He said, 'nup, good call',' Monaghan said. She said it had been a long time since she'd seen such a crowd at the venue. 'There were refs and players from other teams that forgot to go to their games,' she said. 'He was fantastic. He got mobbed afterwards. 'He just wanted a run with his mates, you know what it's like. 'He's such a humble guy and he insisted that I tell the boys before the game. 'I was just going to let him rock up and tell them then. They would have been fine with it. But he said, 'no, no, no, I don't want to intrude'. Like, seriously. 'I said, 'OK', I gave them the heads-up. I said, 'Are you OK if we get an extra sub tonight?' 'They were fine. 'I said, 'do you want to know who it is?'' She said it was a great night for community basketball. 'We've had a few cameos over the last couple of seasons. Over the last three seasons, I've had a couple of Duursmas playing for me. So this is a pretty big move. 'Front office came and said to me, 'we were impressed with the Duursmas, but, geez'.' Lans also spoke about the crowd that gathered to watch Giddey in action. 'I even heard that one of the games kind of got cancelled and they all made their way over,' he said. 'I was a little bit wary about [injuring an NBA star in a local game] ... [but] kind of forgot about it once we all got going.' Loading Lans wasn't aware of Giddey's connection to the opposition, or how it came to be that he was facing off against an international star. But he said he didn't care. 'To be honest, [I] stood absolutely no chance. He was much taller than you expect of someone at the point guard position. It was just another level to it. Unreal experience.' Said Monaghan: 'I woke up this morning, I had this dream. Josh Giddey came and played with us last night on court five at Frankston, and we lost.' Traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he had been the sixth overall pick in 2021, Giddey was embraced by the Bulls this season, and he became a key player in their run to the play-in rounds before falling short of the play-offs. The son of former Melbourne Tigers forward Warwick Giddey, the highlight of the season for the Boomers guard was his buzzer beater at Chicago Stadium to sink the Lakers, capping a classy triple double of 25 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists and two steals. Giddey lifted his output after the All-Star break, averaging 22.6 points, 10 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game. He represented Australia at the Paris Olympics, and will be the man the team is built around come the 2028 Los Angeles games. Fellow young NBA star Dyson Daniels, voted the NBA's most improved player, is also back in Melbourne after his Atlanta Hawks also missed the play-offs.
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Aussie NBA star Josh Giddey shocks fans by playing game in a local league in Melbourne as he's on the brink of signing $250million deal
Australian NBA sensation Josh Giddey stunned fans on Monday night by suiting up for a local basketball match in Victoria. The 22-year-old Chicago Bulls guard turned out for Vales Basketball Club in the Monday Championship Men's competition at the Dreamstreet Lending Arena in Seaford, a far cry from the packed stadiums of the NBA. Giddey, currently on the brink of securing a deal worth over AU$250million, surprised locals by filling in for the Vales simply so he could play with a mate. 'He did a great job, he just wanted a run with a great mate and his mate wanted him to fill in for us, and I said, 'Yeah, no worries',' coach Ann Monaghan told SEN Breakfast. The club normally runs with six players and wasn't expecting to add anyone - until Monaghan got a call. 'He actually rang me during the day to say, 'Hey, my friend wants to come down',' she said. Giddey is back in Australia after his Chicago Bulls bowed out of the NBA play-in tournament against the Miami Heat 'I said, 'Listen, we've got six, we don't normally run with any more than that because the boys like to run it hard'. 'But he said, 'It's my mate Josh'. So I went, 'Oh, look, okay, we'll give him a run'.' As it turned out, another player pulled out, opening the door for Giddey to run the game - and what followed was a surreal night for Frankston basketball. 'We didn't even get to give the heads up to the guys that couldn't make it last night, but news moved pretty quickly,' Monaghan said. 'It was so good for local basketball and the fans, we weren't even on court one last night, we were on court five.' Word of Giddey's appearance spread like wildfire, with referees and players from other courts stopping their own matches to catch a glimpse. Despite his best efforts, Giddey couldn't drag the Vales to victory, with Benny's Boys winning 110-84. Still, the crowd was treated to a show, with Giddey nailing three-pointers, delivering pinpoint passes, and even throwing in a highlight-reel block. 'He was fantastic. He got mobbed afterwards, but he just wanted a run with his mates,' Monaghan said. 'He's such a humble guy and he insisted that I tell the boys before the game. 'I was just going to let him rock up and tell them then, they would have been fine with it, but he said, 'No, no, no, I don't want to intrude'.' Monaghan asked the team if they were okay with an extra sub. 'Then I said, 'Do you wonder who it is?', and they were like, 'What?!'.' Vales Basketball Club president Candice Adolphe was just as thrilled. 'My kids were able to get down there and they quite enjoyed the show,' she told 3AW Breakfast. 'We were pretty stoked actually that he was able to put on a Vales jersey.' One stunned fan posted, 'Imagine warming up for your Z grade local social game and an NBA player fills in.' Another joked, 'Bugger we flew to Sacramento to see Josh play and we could have gone 15 mins down the road. That's so awesome.' A third added, 'Did he have to park in the dirt over the road too?' Giddey's off-season cameo comes after a turbulent but strong NBA season. Traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Bulls in June 2024, Giddey found his rhythm post-All-Star break, averaging 22.6 points, 10 rebounds and 9.1 assists. He finished the regular season averaging 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists. His highlight of the year came with a buzzer-beater against LeBron James' Lakers, capping a triple-double of 25 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. NBA insider Brian Windhorst believes Giddey is now in line for a massive contract. 'The going rate for a starting point guard in the NBA is around $US30million ... and he is their starter,' Windhorst said on ESPN. 'If you look at a guy like Immanuel Quickley, he got five years and $162million [$257million AUD] … I'm sure Josh Giddey's hoping for something like that.' Some reports suggest the Bulls may first sign him to a one-year deal before committing long-term. Giddey's roots stretch deep in Australian basketball. He grew up playing for the Melbourne Tigers juniors under the watchful eyes of his father Warwick and Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze. He starred at the 2019 Under-18 Championships, joined the NBA Global Academy, and signed with the Adelaide 36ers in 2020. He made history in the NBL as the youngest Australian to record consecutive triple-doubles and was named Rookie of the Year. Drafted sixth overall by Oklahoma City in 2021, he became the youngest NBA player to notch a triple-double in January 2022. It is not the first time NBA royalty has checked in for a game in local basketball in Australia. In 2017, Australian NBA star Ben Simmons surprised locals by joining a social basketball game in Greensborough, Melbourne. He filled in for a mate at the Diamond Valley Sports Centre, drawing a crowd once word spread. Fans were initially sceptical, but quickly gathered as they realised it was Simmons on court. He took over in the final quarter, scoring 15 straight points and finishing with 34 in a 72–52 win. The cameo came after Simmons missed his debut NBA season due to injury following his selection as the 76ers' number one draft pick in 2016.
