New Zealand Breakers won’t wear rainbow flag during NBL’s Pride Round
An NBL club has decided not to wear the rainbow flag during this season’s Pride Round - a two-week window when they are due to face basketball’s only openly gay player.
New Zealand Breakers players will boycott the rainbow progress flag during this year’s NBL Pride Round in a show of solidarity with some teammates who do not want to wear the insignia on religious and cultural grounds.
Code Sports learned the Breakers’ playing group will collectively shun the 3cm by 5cm logo during the league’s annual celebration of the LGBTQI+ community, slated for January 21-February 1, which the NBL touts as a showcase of its continued commitment to inclusivity.
In a statement, the Breakers confirmed the players’ pact.
“In line with the league’s voluntary participation policy to wear the patch, the players discussed the matter as a team,” the statement read.
“Some players raised religious and cultural concerns about wearing the insignia.
“To protect individual players from being singled out for their beliefs, the team collectively decided they would either all wear the insignia or none would.”
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While the NBL does allow individual players to opt out during Pride Round, if the Breakers decide to proceed, it would be the second time an entire team chose to play without the flag on their uniforms in a bid to protect their clubmates.
Several players, including Sydney Kings import big man Tim Soares, former Cairns men Bul Kuol (Sydney) and Lat Mayen (Perth) and Illawarra’s Wani Swaka Lo Buluk previously made individual decisions to forego wearing the rainbow logo.
The NBL is home to the only openly gay male professional basketballer in the world in Isaac Humphries, who has become a leading light for the LGBTQI+ community since he came out three years ago.
New Zealand is slated to play Adelaide, Humphries’ current club, on January 23 and then Melbourne United – where Humphries publicly came out three years ago – on January 30.
The Breakers confirmed that the club would participate in the Pride Round event, outside of the decision to forego the insignia on player jerseys.
“The club strongly supports this event and is open and inclusive and will celebrate the diversity of LGBTQIA+ players, members, volunteers, and supporters,” the statement read.
“We are committed to ensuring Breakers are a safe, welcoming and inclusive place for all, both on and off the court.
“The club respects the human rights of all individuals, including their right to freedom of expression.”
The NBL did not directly address the Breakers’ decision but, in a statement, said it remained “committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful environment where everyone feels welcome.”
“While wearing the Progress flag on playing jerseys is not mandatory, we encourage all clubs and players to engage with Pride Round in ways that reflect their own beliefs while upholding our shared values of acceptance and belonging,” the statement read.
Pride celebrations in Australian professional sport have, from time-to-time, been the subject of controversy.
In 2022, Manly’s NRL season was derailed when seven players refused to play against Sydney Roosters after the club failed to inform them of a plan to wear pride-themed jerseys.
Greater Western Sydney player Haneen Zreika, the first Muslim woman to play AFLW, withdraws her name from selection in Pride Round contests.
ADAMS OUT? BULLETS SET TO ACT IN WAKE OF NZ STINKER
Jaylen Adams may have played his last game as a Brisbane Bullet.
The Bullets hit a flashpoint on Wednesday night with a disastrous effort against New Zealand that was compounded by a season-ending knee injury to their best player Casey Prather.
Adams produced arguably his worst performance of an underwhelming season that has been marred by off-court issues, that Code Sports understands has left teammates sick of his lack of care and caused a rift between the American guard and big man Tyrell Harrison.
“It’s the punctuality, he’s been urged multiple times but his teammates feel like he just doesn’t care,” one source told Code Sports.
The Bullets are understandably reeling from the Prather heartbreak but it’s expected the club will make a swift call on Adams’ future, likely ahead of Saturday night’s daunting road task against top-of-the-table Melbourne United.
Adams scored just two points – after a 3-point stinker in his previous outing.
NBL greats Lanard Copeland and Derek Rucker savaged the 29-year-old’s performance.
“What the hell is wrong with Jaylen Adams?,” Copeland asked on the commentary.
“This is not Jaylen Adams … his offence is terrible, his defence, he’s not interested … this is not good enough from Jaylen Adams.”
Rucker said Adams was “hard to watch”.
“This is a guy with immense talent … but, right now, his levels of disinterest and disengagement are bewildering,” Rucker said.
The Bullets coveted Adams’ elite abilities when they recruited him from Sydney but were warned in relation to issues around application, punctuality and attendance.
However, multiple sources told Code Sports the club took steps to include protections in Adams’ contract that will allow them to part ways under certain provisions.
And it’s not as if they haven’t been looking. Code Sports understands the Bullets flirted with American guard David Duke Jr before he ultimately signed in Perth.
CALLS FOR STU TO GET THE LASH: VALID OR UNFAIR?
Widely respected Kiwi mentor Paul Henare was signed, sealed – and almost delivered – when the Bullets had a late change of heart and told Henare ‘thanks but no thanks’, inserting their then-basketball boss Lash into the vacant role.
On Wednesday night, fans took to social media to take aim at Lash, with anything from ‘can’t coach’ to calls for his sacking.
But one rival coach said the criticism has been a little unfair.
Lash, the former director of player personnel for the Memphis Grizzlies, has never coached a professional team.
But, despite learning on the fly and navigating a rotating cast of injuries and the early exit of talented import Javon Freeman-Liberty, the Bullets are still only one game outside the top six.
Is Lash a good coach? “It’s too early to tell,” the rival said.
“I think it’ unfair to judge him in the situations they’ve been in.
“I think he’s done a nice job with getting playing time into young guys like (Tristan) Devers, (Alex) Ducas and Taine Murray.”
The wild swings in form from one game to the next have been a massive problem:
Lost by 29
Won by 2
Lost by 37
Won by 28
Lost by 23
Won by 1
UP NEXT: A DIABOLICAL CHALLENGE
Lash is keeping the faith in his embattled group but issued a warning ahead of a nightmare trip to Melbourne to face United on Saturday.
“We believe in every guy in this group and I told them if you don’t have a belief that we can go into Melbourne on Saturday and get a win, don’t even show up (for the plane) on Friday,” Lash said.
“One thing this group has done consistently is bounce back when we’ve faced adversity.
“I hold myself accountable … we, as a coaching staff, own this as much as the players and we’ll be ready to play on Saturday.”
SHEA BUTTERS UP FOR RETURN
Top-of-the-table Melbourne United is about to get even scarier with reigning back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year Shea Ili to return against Brisbane on Saturday night. The Kiwi guard trained strongly across three sessions this week as he prepares to return from the hamstring injury he suffered in United’s NBA clash with New Orleans. He’s missed the past nine games but his return to the 10-2 United gives coach Dean Vickerman access to his full arsenal for the first time this season.
RILLIE GOOD BOOMERS CALL UP
Perth Wildcats coach John Rillie has been tapped to assist Dean Vickerman in the Boomers’ quest to take down New Zealand in a pair of FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Tasmania (November 28), then Wellington (December 1). An assistant during the Boomers’ historic Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medal campaign, Rillie returns to the fold, completing a support group that includes NBL assistants Kerry Williams (Adelaide 36ers) and Luke Brennan (South East Melbourne Phoenix) and the welcomed return of John Rillie (Perth).
ONE IN, ONE OUT FOR PHOENIX TRIP NORTH
Deadeye marksman Angus Glover has travelled to Cairns for South East Melbourne’s clash with the Taipans on Friday night, but the Phoenix will be without guard Hunter Maldonado. The import experienced concussion-like symptoms after a head knock in Saturday’s Throwdown loss to United and hasn’t been cleared to play. Glover is set to return from an ankle injury he suffered in Phoenix’s November 2 win over Perth and provides a welcome boost to Josh King’s deep shooting attack.
READ MORE:THE OBSESSIVE DIET POWERING A VETERAN MVP HOPEFUL
ROTH’S NEXT RECLAMATION PROJECT
Tasmania coach Scott Roth, this week, told Code Sports his pride in bringing out the best in his players was the only thing that kept him in the game. The master mentor’s latest reclamation project is former 36er Nick Marshall. The 26-year-old endured more than a young player ever should in Adelaide, cycling through a rotating cast of coaches and club controversy that stifled his growth. On the scrap heap at the end of last season, Roth saw something where others didn’t With nothing promised other than a career lifeline, the 198cm wing is making the most of it, stepping up in the absence of injured teammates averaging nearly 30 minutes per game over his past nine appearances, producing 9.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists — all career marks.
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Originally published as New Zealand Breakers won’t wear rainbow flag during NBL’s Pride Round
