Otago Nuggets captain Sam To'omata: "When people write us
off and call us underdogs it just makes us want it more."
Photo by Peter McIntosh.
The last time Sam To'omata suited up for the Otago
Nuggets it was mostly for the sake of appearances.
The talented guard spent most of the 2007 season
sitting on the bench with little more than a few junk minutes
to show for the hundreds of hours spent training and running
drills against the starting five.
But that was three years ago. There will not be much chance
for a sit-down this year, as the 24-year-old is returning to
captain the franchise in its comeback season.
The Nuggets have re-entered the National Basketball League
after a year out in 2009 and To'omata is under no illusions
as to how tough the competition will be.
But the 1.87m-tall point guard, who had a stint with the
Nelson Giants in 2008 and the Christchurch Cougars in 2009,
is ready to do what it takes to help get Otago
re-established.
"It is going to be a big challenge," he said. "But I like
challenges and the guys do too.
"They like being pushed and you're not going to learn much
from getting over a small hurdle.
"The games are going to be tough but there is nothing new
about that.
"When I played for the Cougars we had a great line-up but
every game was still tough.
"It is going to be one big dogfight."
While at the Giants and Cougars, To'omata was understudy to
two of the best point guards in the league in Michael
Fitchett and Paul Henare respectively.
"I knew that going to Nelson would be a huge learning curve
for me," To'omata said.
"When I spoke to the coach, Chris Tupu, he said playing time
would be limited.
"But if I wanted to make the next level I had to start
getting my basketball IQ up and this is where it will start.
"And it did start there.
"I learnt how to train properly and learnt the game a lot
better.
"I just couldn't get enough of it, and with the Cougars it
was just how to implement everything I learnt."
To'omata's first season with the Nuggets was in 2005 under
coach Bernd Kupka.
The season did not go too well for To'omata, or the Nuggets,
so the young guard decided to try his luck at rugby.
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