Adam Forde lashes NBL after Sam Waardenburg’s Rookie of the Year hopes dashed
Taipans coach Adam Forde has lashed the NBL’s decision to replace the Rookie of the Year Award, which has all but robbed a key player the chance of ending his season with silverware.
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TAIPANS coach Adam Forde has lashed the NBL’s decision to replace the Rookie of the Year Award, which has all but robbed a key player the chance of ending his season with silverware.
Hours before his team chase a club-record seventh straight win when they host the JackJumpers, Forde was forthright in his view of the league’s decision to replace the time-honoured award with the new “Next Generation Award”.
It’s especially galling for Cairns with centre Sam Waardenburg dominating the race for Rookie of the Year, which has been in place since 1983.
Names like Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Nate Jawai and Charlotte Hornets ace LaMelo Ball grace the award, which was won by Taipans gun Bul Kuol last season after he hit a NBL record 64 threes in his rookie campaign.
But Waardenburg has been denied his shot at the accolade just weeks out from the end of the season, and Forde took no prisoners with his view.
“My opinion is pretty strong now, it’s unfortunate that with three weeks to go they decide to change it,” Forde said.
“I think if Sam was wearing a Melbourne United jersey, they wouldn’t.
“I’ll have more of a stronger opinion about it in five years from now when we see what those recipients look like.
“That will be a discussion worth bringing up.”
The Next Generation Award is open to all players under the age of 25 on April 30 of the relevant season.
NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger believes the change will provide a more meaningful representation of the immense talent among the League’s emerging superstars.
“The NBL has never been better and a huge part of that is due to the injection of the sensational younger talent we are lucky to have participating in the competition,” Loeliger said.
“From rising Australian and New Zealand players, returning college players, Next Stars, high level imports and exciting development players, the NBL has a healthy and diverse mix of up and coming stars who are making their mark in a big way on a global stage.
“Changing from Rookie of the Year to the Next Generation Award allows us to simplify the eligibility criteria so we can highlight and recognise the stars of the future with greater transparency.”
It means Waardenburg has gone from being a lock for an award to a name in a crowded bunch now potentially headed by Illawarra’s Sam Froling.
Forde is one of many in the league who are against the idea of replacing the Rookie of the Year award, with Sydney Kings owner and chairman Paul Smith earlier this week calling for both to be presented.
“The rookie of the year is a universally accepted and adopted award in every league that you go to,” Smith said.
“The NBA has the rookie of the year as the benchmark. It’s semantics and window dressing. They (the NBL) are just reacting.
“I think there can be both awards if that is what they want to do. There can be a true rookie and also have a Next Gen award, but why drop that classic rookie of the year award?
“It’s a first-year player that comes in and excels and that’s it.
“I don’t understand why we can’t have both awards.”
All awards will be presented at the Andrew Gaze MVP Night on February 7.
- additional reporting via Matt Logue
matthew.mcinerney1@news.com.au
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