Left: MarleyBiyendolo training at the Asia Pacific Team Camp. 70958
By Jarrod Potter
IT’S not often 3,934 games worth of national league experience comes to teach you, but for basketballer Marley Biyendolo, this was the case.
Biyendolo, 16 from Dingley, was one of 10 Australians selected in the NBA Asia Pacific Team Camp.
The camp – including young basketball players from Australia, New Zealand, China and Korea – descended on Dandenong Basketball Stadium for a week of intensive training under some of the NBA’s finest coaches and players.
A Dandenong Rangers under-18 representative, Biyendolo was trained by the likes of Horace Grant, Ron Harper, Luc Longley and Basketball Hall of Famer Alex English, who taught him how to take his gameplay to the highest level.
“It was something very different for me, as I’ve never done a camp that big before,” Biyendolo said.
“Just listening to and soaking up all the information from the coaches.
“It was different with all the American coaches and was a great experience.”
A lot of the coaching and practice for Biyendolo was done with former Toronto Raptors coach Jay Triano.
“He was great,” Biyendolo said. He showed me a lot of little things that help you throughout the game. “Gave me tips throughout the game and little things to improve on court.
“I learned a shooting drill off him and stuff like that; he was a really good coach.”
Biyendolo believes the experience he’ll take away from the camp will put him in good stead when he moves up the ranks of Australian basketball.
“I’ve never played any international teams, like China and New Zealand, so it showed me the level I have to be at to face them,” he said.
“The Chinese and Korean players are all very fast, so I know what I’m up against now at the best.
“Will definitely be able to take the things I’ve learned and put them into practice.”
