JackJumpers’ NBL win on debut even brought a tear to the eye of coach Scott Roth
The Tasmania JackJumpers not only created history by winning their first game in the NBL, the night also brought FIVE other firsts. WRAP-UP + BEST PHOTOS >>
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IT takes a lot to bring a tear to the eye of American basketball coach Scott Roth but the JackJumpers’ brilliant victory on debut in the NBL and the tyranny of distance from his family did it on Friday night.
As the JackJumpers pulled away from the Brisbane Bullets in over-time in Hobart on Friday night, a packed and a near deafening road brought emotions flooding out.
“I’ve been away from my family for 14 months,” Roth said.
“The past month has been very difficult for me, and it was just the accumulation of everything.
“My favourite part of the night was when I got a chance to talk to my wife and daughter in the locker room.”
The JackJumpers not only created history by winning their first game in the NBL 83-74, the night also bought other firsts.
It was:
- The biggest crowd for a basketball match in Tasmania, with 4738 people cramming into the Nest.
- It was the first time the first match of the opening round of the NBL season was decided in overtime.
- The first NBL home-and-away match at MyState Bank Arena.
- The first point of the season and for the JackJumpers was scored by Sam McDaniel, son of former Tassie Devils basketball player Wayne McDaniel.
- First NBL game in Tasmania in 26 years.
It was the perfect storm for Tasmania’s newest elite team, and the next chance to see the green machine is against the Adelaide 36ers in Hobart on Thursday night.
“We are trying to build something special,” Roth said.
“It has taken a lot of hard work. The fan base in the number one thing we have to continue to build from the north to the south.
“What a way to start the season off with that type of game and to create history and in a wonderful building.
“The buzz was great and our guys were very gritty, feisty, and it’s one of the things I really love about their character.
“We are not pretty. We are not a sexy team. But we are very competitive, very tough-minded and they just found a way to win.”
Roth’s credits include playing with NBA teams San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves, and assistant-coaching roles at Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons and Perth Wildcats on his way to Hobart.
“I hope Tasmania is proud of these guys,” he said.
“They have put in a tremendous amount of work into what they have been doing and our motto is to defend the island and this was the first time we officially defended the island so I’m really proud of them.”
JackJumpers triumph in overtime thriller
Friday night wrap-up: The JackJumpers made a dream start to life in the NBL when the hometown heroes held off the Brisbane Bullets in their history-making debut game in the national competition in an overtime thriller in Hobart.
The JackJumpers took the first step towards making the MyState Bank Arena their fortress and made other teams sit up and take notice of the new kid on the block with their courageous 83-74 win.
It helped that hot Brisbane Bullet Nathan Sobey was fouled out early in OT, which relieved the immense pressure building in the JJ’s defensive half, while Josh Adams found his mark at the board late to bring the team home.
“It’s incredible,” Adams said. “It’s the first season for Tasmania so to start off with a win it couldn’t get any better.”
Adams has played all over the world and his experience in the JackJumpers opener was up there with his best experiences.
“This is top of the line,” he said. “There’s not enough words I can say about these guys.
“Going right back to when I first arrived, they have been great. They saved my life basketball-wise and for us this is just the beginning.”
Captain Clint Steindl, back from a dislocated finger, had limited court time but it was noticed by the fans when he was on the floor.
“This feels pretty bloody good,” Steindl said. “I feel like we should have won at the end of regular time. We used some lives but I’m stoked for these guys. It’s the first of many, that’s for sure.”
When Brisbane levelled the scores through Sobey in the dying seconds, Steindl still believed.
“We just had to stick it out,” he said.
“We’ll watch video over the next few days and see all the things we messed up and most of them are quick fixes.
“The crowd helped get us over the line and if this [type of] crowd shows up again on Thursday [against the Adelaide 36ers], I’m sure we can get it done again.”
Sobey was in everything early, scoring from inside and outside, but the JJs put the foot down with hard defence, a couple of turnovers and MiKyle McIntosh dominating defensive rebounds to jump out to a 27-19 lead at the first break with Josh Magette the game’s leading scorer on eight.
The second quarter was tight and although the JackJumpers pulled away Brisbane again came back and the green machine led 42-41 at the half with Sobey the leading scorer with 16.
By the end of the third, it was the JJs by three but several mistakes late in the fourth allowed Sobey to level on the buzzer.
He was fouled out early in the fourth and that allowed the JackJumpers to pull away at the other end to finish nine up.
Jumping for joy at NBL debut
IT was years in the making and Tasmania’s return to the NBL lived up to the hype in Hobart on Friday night when the JackJumpers made their debut in the big time.
The green machine was welcomed on court to thunderous applause as they turned out to play the Brisbane Bullets in the opening game of the NBL season.
Cars were queued for kilometres just to get into carparks and MyState Bank Arena filled fast.
The crowd was told to stand until the JackJumpers put in their first basket, and they only had to wait 16 seconds, when Sam McDaniel scored.
McDaniel – whose father Wayne McDaniel played for the Tassie Devils in the NBL 26 years ago – nailed a mid-court jump shot for two.
An emotional Anthony Stewart, Tasmania’s NBL games record holder, was delighted to see his home state back in the big league and praised the community for embracing the JackJumpers so quickly.
Another familiar face in the crowd was Tasmanian women’s basketball legend Kathy Foster, who would not have missed it for the world.
“I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time,” said the former captain of the state’s top women’s national basketball team.
“We came to a couple of Blitz games and the standard was amazing, so we hope the JackJumpers play well and are competitive in their first season.”
JackJumpers captain faces fitness test for NBL debut
CAPTAIN courageous Clint Steindl all but confirmed he would play in the JackJumpers history-making sell-out NBL debut against the Brisbane Bullets in Hobart on Friday night as he shakes off the last of a finger injury.
But 201cm Russian Nikita Mikhailovskii has been ruled out.
Steindl dislocated his finger in the NBL Blitz preseason competition and has been racing the clock to be fit to lead the team.
The 32-year-old shooting guard said it would mean the world to be on court with his teammates for the opening game.
“It means everything, especially being the first game of the season and the first game of a new franchise – you don’t want to miss that,” he said.
Steindl’s confidence grew after he put the finger through its paces at practice on Thursday, but towering teammate Mikhailovskii is out with an injured left foot.
“I had a good session and tested the finger and I was able to get through it OK,” Steindl said.
“We’ve got another session on Friday morning to get through. If I get through that I’ll be pretty much good to go.”
The fitness test will be simple.
“Just catch the ball and shoot it,” Steindl said.
“I sat out of a couple of sessions during the week, other than that there’s not much else to it – just strap it up, get out there and not think about it.”
All players had their court time chopped and changed through the Blitz as coach Scott Roth searched for the perfect balance, so Steindl is yet to find his groove.
“Minutes-wise, I’m not too sure what it’s going to look like tomorrow night, but when I’m out there I’ll be playing my role and doing my job,” he said.
Roth has done his best to prepare the team for its maiden NBL season.
“I’m just proud of the fact that these guys have bonded very quickly,” Roth said.
“I don’t know about wins and losses, but they are high-quality characters who are doing the right thing, being out in the community, just like building a house. We are putting in the foundations first and tomorrow is the first piece of the building that we can put in.”
The JackJumpers will wear a home strip featuring their latest partner, Metro Tasmania, on the shirts.
Fans can get to MyState Bank Arena for free aboard a fleet of Metro buses.
“The fans will be travelling on new, modern buses from 11 key locations around the city area, and hopefully they will then think about using buses for getting to work, school and appointments,” said Transport Minister Michael Ferguson.
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