Above: Big V All-Star and Dandenong Ranger Lester Strong questions a call on Tuesday night. By Marc McGowan
ROOM-MATES Lester Strong and Brent Hobba have starred all season for the Dandenong Rangers, but were on opposite sides of the court on Tuesday night when the National Basketball League’s (NBL) newest franchise, the South Dragons, travelled to Dandenong Basketball Stadium to take on the Big V’s finest.
Perth-born Hobba suited up for the Dragons, while Colorado native Strong was the star attraction on the Big V All-Star squad.
It was clear from the start that the Dragons had the edge in class over their opponents, but playing in front of their home crowd, both Strong and Hobba were keen to impress.
“It was good playing back at home and actually getting a run with the boys,” Hobba, 24, said.
“I missed out on probably four or five games pre-season (with the Dragons) while I finished my commitments with Dandenong.”
It is an exciting time for Hobba as he embarks on his debut NBL season.
“I don’t know what to expect at the moment,” he said.
“I’m just going to try to support the team as much as I can.”
While the Dragons are the new boys on the block, they are far more inexperienced.
With former National Basketball Association (NBA) superstar Mark Price as coach, as well as former NBA players Shane Heal and Todd Fuller on the roster, Hobba has plenty of people to turn to.
“It’s great just hearing the stories,” he said. “It’s a pleasure to work with them.
“All the guys are really helpful. We’re a pretty young team, besides the veterans we’ve got. It’s a pretty close-knit team already.”
Hobba feels like he has something to offer the team.
“I’m probably better off defending big guys, but on offence I can go inside and outside,” he said.
“That’s probably my main strength.
“I’ll play any position, as long as I get a chance.”
A chance is something his Rangers team-mate Strong is looking for.
He played a pivotal role in Dandenong’s championship run in the Big V and its subsequent runner-up finish in the national championships.
Strong’s performance in the national title game still haunts him, though, where foul trouble kept him off the court for all but 18 minutes for a meagre return of four points and seven rebounds.
“I went in there with my mind full of things outside of the court, and I think it kind of led onto the court as well,” Strong, 24, said.
“I think I was a little embarrassed by the way I did perform in the national game itself.”
The match gave him extra incentive to star against NBL competition.
“I wanted to come out and show a lot of the NBL teams that I can play at that level,” he said.
“I was supposed to go home (to the United States) tonight but I ended up cancelling that flight until next week so that I could showcase a bit of what I have.”
His showcase included some breathtakingly athletic dunks, including a breakaway at the end of the second quarter which brought the house down.
The dunk was two of Strong’s six points in a one-minute burst, which underlined his potential.
His dunking prowess was also highlighted by his victory in the half-time slam dunk contest, where a thundering one-handed slam scored him perfect 10s on his first attempt, before he nonchalantly rocking the rim with his second to clearly win the contest.
Strong heads home next week but will be back in the Dandenong line-up next season.
“I’m going to go home and play for an American Basketball Association team and go from there and see what happens,” he said.
“If I get a chance to play in the NBL I may take that chance, too. I am looking forward to coming back to Dandenong.”
Strong currently qualifies as an import for the NBL, but his hopes will skyrocket if he manages to gain Australian citizenship, which he will attempt to do when he returns next year.
The next step in his development appears to be morphing into a perimeter player.
“I went and tried out for the New Zealand Breakers and that didn’t go so well because they were looking for someone who could play around the perimeter,” he said.
“This year all I’ve really done is play inside 15 foot.”
