To my younger self

You’re about to embark on a basketball and life journey that will change, shape and define who you will later become.

Over the next 8 years at the mighty Adelaide 36ers you’re going to learn more than you ever thought humanly possible.

You’ll face many obstacles that will knock you down and also many opportunities that will take your breathe away.

You’ll tear muscles from the bone, lose teeth, have countless stitches, snaps ligaments, have multiple surgeries and give copious amounts of blood, sweat and tears.

You’ll feel disappointment and sadness from the toughest of losses, you’ll also feel the joy and satisfaction of you and your teams hard work coming together to create win streaks that you never thought you were capable of.

Every day you’ll walk in wondering if you’re good enough to be in this league. If the work you’re doing day in day out, hour after hour is going to make you the player you aspire to be.

You’ll have doubters, haters, lovers and supporters. They’ll criticize your losses, embrace your wins, and help you through the days when you dribble the ball off your foot and you can’t shoot straight.

Some of the best days and nights of your many years to come in this league will be played in magical arenas in front of 13,000 die hard Perth Wildcat fans, 10,000 passionate Melbourne United fans as well as many other exciting rivalries.

Through all of your experiences here to come in Radelaide (and yes that’s an expression you’ll learn to love) you’ll meet thousands of Bleed Blue 36er Fans, have incredible support staff, learn from brilliant minded coaches and play along side some of the best blokes you’ll ever come across.

Through this life changing phase you’ll learn you are good enough and that you can do what you dream of right now. You’ll make shots to win games, you’ll dive through the crowd trying to save the ball and kick kids and fathers in the face. You’ll feel the Adelaide fans roar so loud the floor shakes.

You’ll find yourself looking around at 8,000 die hard supporters chanting ‘SIXERS’ as you win a nail biter from a DJ 3 in the deep corner.

You’ll simply wonder… how the hell did I get so lucky!

Thank you Adelaide.