Joel Khalu targets Nate Jawai for All Stars debut

The Australian Indigenous Basketball All Stars team are chasing a big target for the World Indigenous Basketball Championships next year. Could a Cairns Taipan be set to make his debut?

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA — OCTOBER 13: Nate Jawai of the Taipans slam dunks during the round one NBL match between the Brisbane Bullets and the Cairns Taipans at Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre on October 13, 2018 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

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AUSTRALIAN Indigenous Basketball All Stars coach Joel Khalu is thinking big when it comes to recruiting for the World Indigenous Basketball Championships next year.

Big, as in all 209cm and 140kg of former NBA centre Nate Jawai.

NBL commitments have stopped the Bamaga big man from representing the Australian indigenous side in recent year’s but with Jawai in the third year of a three-year deal, Khalu is planting the seed early.

Jawai was fantastic in the opening round of the NBL season, scoring 13 points on just nine shots, as well as hauling in five rebounds in the victory.

Khalu, who recently sealed a fourth consecutive trans-Tasman title in New Zealand, is hopeful he can bring the 32-year-old man mountain into his squad.

“The addition of Nate Jawai would take our team to a whole new level, just via his size and tenacity,” Khalu said.

“Hopefully we can get him in an Indigenous uniform for the World Champs, pending his NBL and possible Australian Boomers commitments around that time.”

Far North rising talent Tamuri Wigness, who’s based at the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, could also join Jawai in the squad.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA — OCTOBER 13: Nathan Jawai of the Taipans takes on the defence during the round one NBL match between the Brisbane Bullets and the Cairns Taipans at Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre on October 13, 2018 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

The World Indigenous Basketball Championships are held biennially and the 2019 tournament is confirmed for March 23-30 and will be ­hosted by New Zealand Maori Basketball Aotearoa.

“It’s great that the World Championships will be played in NZ next year,” Khalu said.

“We’re familiar with many of their venues from our battles with the Maori in recent years and that’s certainly beneficial.”

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“Right now, we’re just waiting to see whether the tournament will be hosted in Rotorua or Wellington, but either way we’ll have a good sense of the playing environments.”

The Indigenous All Stars finished in 11th place at the 2017 World Indigenous ­Basketball Championships held in Vancouver (Canada).

After only playing seven games in the 2017-18 season, Jawai was thrilled to be back on the court with his Taipans teammates and contributing to his club.

“I felt relief, it has been a while since I have played an actual game,” he said.

“It felt great.

“I let the game come to me, it was my 100th game and hopefully there is many more to come.”

Jawai will be out to make it two solid games in a row against Illawarra this Sunday.

Originally published as Joel Khalu targets Nate Jawai for All Stars debut