Basketball: American giant arrives on a double mission

By PETER JESSUP

The Breakers welcomed a prospective team member to a half-completed stadium yesterday.

But coach and management are sure they have the playing roster and the venue organised after the Australian NBL yesterday awarded them the season-opening game.

The Breakers will play the Adelaide 36ers at the new West Trusts Stadium in Waitakere on September 29.

The game will be shown live on Foxtel in Australia, with a potential viewing audience of one million.

Next up they will host the Sydney Kings, the 2002-03 champions and losing finalists last season, on October 9.

Coach Frank Arsego, chief executive Peter Chapman and contracted player Blake Truslove were at their new Henderson home yesterday to show American newcomer Frank Barr around.

The 2.13m (7ft) power forward is here by chance after a deal to play in Syria fell through when the team stadium was not completed.

He had previously played a half-season in Saudi Arabia.

Barr, 25, is three years out of Lafayette College where he majored in journalism and averaged around 20 points a game in the NCAA.

He missed the NBA draft, but is hopeful of invitations to summer training camps next month.

He came to the Breakers' attention via agent Bernie Lee, who also represents one of the team's stars, Mike Chappell.

But Barr has never met Chappell and did not speak to him before coming Downunder for a trial during which he will play for the Taranaki Mountain Airs in the domestic league for a month starting this week, with the prospect of joining the Breakers if the NBA does not open up for him.

Barr left his mother and two sisters in Philadelphia on Sunday and arrived here at 5am yesterday.

He will drive to New Plymouth today and train with the Airs for games in Auckland against the Stars then the Harbour Heat at the weekend.

Arsego was impressed with Barr's commitment.

"His enthusiasm to come out here and play in the domestic league shows us a lot - he could have sat at home and sent us tapes."

Signed so far are Pero Cameron, Phill Jones, Dillon Boucher, Paul Henare and Aaron Olson, who will be involved in the Tall Blacks campaign for the Athens Olympics in July/August, plus Truslove and Chappell.

Arsego is not in a hurry to fill the other spots.

The $26 million West Trusts Stadium is due for completion in July and will be home to the Breakers' offices, as well as Waitakere athletics and rugby and netball's Diamonds.