Mitch Creek makes NBA debut with Brooklyn Nets after emotional phone call to his dad at home in Horsham

Jeff Creek had just been to the post office to collect a parcel when his mobile phone started ringing. Five minutes later he was crying tears of joy for his son who was about to realise his boyhood basketball dream in the NBA.

Mitch Creek high-fives the Brooklyn Nets bench after scoring in his NBA debut on Saturday. Picture: Sarah Stier (Getty).

• Creek signs with Nets

Jeff Creek had just been to the post office to collect a parcel on Thursday and was walking out of the bank in Horsham when his mobile phone started ringing, and five minutes later he was in tears.

“It was Mitch on the phone and he’d sent me a Christmas present from Brooklyn that arrived that day, I’d just been to the post office to pick it up and it was a nice Brooklyn Nets jumper,” Jeff said.

“So I’m sitting out the front of the bank talking to him and I said ‘oh your Christmas present arrived today, thank you very much’.

“And he said ‘have you tried it on?’ and I said ‘not yet, it’s 45 degrees here, I’m not putting a bloody jumper on’.

“But he persisted and said ‘no no, you’d better try it on’, and I said ‘why?’ and he said ‘because you’re going to have to come over ... I’ve got the 10-day contract.”

Mitch Creek and his dad Jeff on the day Creek flew to the US to chase his NBA dream in Brooklyn last September. Picture: Supplied.

At that point Jeff’s voice breaks up and he fights back tears just recounting the story to the Sunday Mail.

“I’ll never forget it,” Jeff said.

“I know how much that means to him.

“I was sitting on the seat down the street in Horsham, I’m in tears, he’s in tears, because I’m as emotional as he is, and people walking past must have thought ‘what the hell’s going on?’

“But sometimes it does get the better of you.”

Just after midday Adelaide time on Saturday, Creek lived his childhood dream when he checked into an NBA game for the first time.

Wearing the No.55 jersey which honours his dad who wore No.5 in his playing days - “five for me, five for you” - he hit one of two free throws with three minutes to go in the Nets’ 109-99 win over the New York Knicks.

It triggered a wild celebration from the Brooklyn bench who were clearly elated for their newest teammate.

Jeff was watching the game on NBA TV at one of Mitch’s mates’ house in Horsham.

“We were sitting there in a room full of people and I said to his mate Tyler ‘do you think he’ll get on?’ and we thought no because at that point it was 71-71, but if they were 10 in front then maybe he’d get a chance.

“Then when one of the guys went down with injury, I didn’t realise but the other team gets to pick who has the free throws and Mitch came on, had the free-throws and went off again.

“He’s broken the ice now and hopefully in the next five games he can get a few more minutes and do what he needs to do.

“If the opportunity comes I’m sure he’ll make the most of it.”

Never let anyone tell you you can’t do anything - dream big, work hard and love the process!

The work starts now. Huge love to all my fans, friends and anyone else whose supported me!

❤️

— Mitchell Creek (@CreekMitchell) January 25, 2019

Creek who left the Adelaide 36ers after eight years and as the reigning MVP last season, has starred with the Long Island Nets in the G-League this season, averaging 14 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

That led to him signing a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets yesterday just hours before his NBA debut.

“I woke up this morning and I was excited, and then I was numb, and then I thought ‘what’s going to happen?,” Jeff said.

“But I thought ‘well, it’s the end of one pathway because he’s got his foot in the door, and now he’s on the bottom step again’.

“If he can show enough to maybe warrant a second 10-day contract and hopefully in that period of time possibly snagging a contract, we’ll see.

“He’s been very patient and all he wanted to do when he got a scholarship to go to the AIS was to be an NBA player.

“He’s pursued it, and pursued it and pursued it, it’s happened but the stairs are there to climb the next ladder, and how far that goes ....”

Creek won Adelaide’s MVP last year in his eighth and final season with the 36ers. Picture: Sarah Reed

Jeff had originally planned to go to the US in March for the last month of the season and only applied to have his passport renewed last week which means he may be unable to scurry to get there this week.

“Had I known earlier my passport would have still been valid until the 10th of March, but once it’s in the system I’ve got to wait 2-3 weeks to get it,” Jeff said.

“So I think I’ll stick to the original plan and go over in March.”

A point @CreekMitchell will remember for the rest of his life 🙌🙌🙌 pic.twitter.com/728La1C7Lv

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 26, 2019

But he was still just as proud watching it all unfold from home.

“People don’t understand the adversity some basketballers go through. Mitch has had his fair share of injuries which have limited him in some games and one season he missed quite a bit with a snapped Achilles,” Jeff said.

“He had back surgery with a bulging disc when he’d been picked in the Boomers squad,

“He had surgery on his arm because of ligament damage, and when they were doing a ball toss in Adelaide he bent over and tore his hamstring.

“People forget those things and the ability he’s had to fight back.

“He did that cryotherapy and came back in four weeks instead of six, we see that work behind the scenes as a parent.”

At 27-23 and sitting sixth on the eastern conference standings, Brooklyn’s season is very much alive.

The Nets play games against Boston, San Antonio, Milwaukee, Chicago and Orlando during Creek’s 10-day contract period.

It’s understood the franchise has been thrilled by Creek’s team ethos, community work with juniors and hosting guests as Brooklyn games in his first US season.

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Originally published as Mitch Creek makes NBA debut with Brooklyn Nets after emotional phone call to his dad at home in Horsham