A STELLAR 2018 season in the former SEABL competition has landed Bendigo Braves import Ray Turner one of the biggest breaks of his career.
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The 28-year-old will spend the remainder of the National Basketball League (NBL) season with championship contenders Sydney, after he was signed by the Kings as their third import.
Turner has spent the last two weeks practising with the Kings, with the club lauding him as ‘a good-fit on and off the court’.
A former college standout at Texas A&M, Turner starred for the Braves in his debut SEABL season.
The power forward averaged 22.6 points and 11 rebounds per game and was rewarded with selection in the ALL SEABL First Team.
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Turner, who has settled in Bendigo and is re-signed by the Braves for 2019, joins a Kings team which sits atop the NBL ladder with a 13-7 record.
His signing adds significant depth to a talent-laden frontcourt, underpinned by former NBA star Andrew Bogut, import David Wear and Brad Newley.
Kings head-coach Andrew Gaze said he was looking forward to having some additional help on the floor around the rim.
“We’re really happy to have Ray on board. He brings an inside presence and has shown at the SEABL level to be an outstanding rebounder which is an area we need help in,” Gaze told the Kings’ website.
“He’s a big body and the priorities for Ray with us are what he can do on the defensive end and how he can rebound.
(Ray) brings an inside presence and has shown at the SEABL level to be an outstanding rebounder which is an area we need help i
- Andrew Gaze
“So far he’s proven to be a great teammate with great character, he’s been in Australia for a while and is married to an Australian woman so he knows the culture and the league.”
“It’s going to take him a little bit of time to get him up to speed with what we’re doing, but for us it was a great fit to get us a little bit of help inside.”
Turner will make his Sydney Kings debut this Saturday afternoon against Adelaide 36ers at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.
He has previously played professionally in several countries, including Cyprus, Hungary and Japan.
Kings' general manager of basketball Jeff Van Groningen hailed Turner as ‘a quality person who brings a team first approach’ to the club.
“We like his approach to the game, and we like his desire to rebound and chase every loose ball,” he said.
“Ray understands the role here and we welcome him to the Kings.”
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