Breakers import Gary Wilkinson says teammate BJ Anthony has some important decisions to make, including his circle of friends, if he wants to be a successful basketball player.
Anthony was suspended on Wednesday for 10 days because he turned up to training last Saturday hung over. It was not his first alcohol-related indiscretion - he was caught drink-driving on the night of the All Blacks' World Cup triumph - and teammates had only recently talked to him about his use of alcohol. The suspension was a punishment imposed by his teammates, who wanted to send a strong message that he needed to clean up his act.
Wilkinson knows better than most what it means to fall off the rails. It might be hard to imagine now when you look at the clean-cut, personable American and devout Mormon but in a past life he was cut from his high school basketball team because of a bad attitude, lived off a diet of drugs, alcohol and partying, dropped out of school and lived a hedonistic existence for about five years.
"You have to change your environment," Wilkinson said. "The people you choose to associate with off the court are those who direct your path. For me in my life, I had to separate myself from my friends. When you're a young kid growing up, your buddies, to get away from those guys is a really difficult thing because they are your crew. But separating yourself from influences that can stop you being successful is the key.
"It's hard but sacrifice is a necessary component of success. Anyone who is successful in life will tell you that. Once you make it [the decision] and separate yourself, you will wonder why you didn't make it earlier.
