Who knows where basketball will take Sam Timmins next.
It has already been a fabulous journey for the 25-year-old.
The star Nuggets centre signed a letter of intent with the Washington Huskies before he had finished high school, and spent five years in the college system in the United States.
He had a season with the Canterbury Rams before he departed for the States and a stretch with the Franklin Bulls when he returned in 2020.
He also landed a gig in Estonia during the pandemic, and picked up a development contract with the Breakers in 2021 and spent three seasons with the club.
But his heart has always been with the Nuggets. His journey started out on the centre court at the Edgar Centre 10 years ago when he made his debut for the franchise as a 15-year-old — the youngest player in the Nuggets’ history.
Franchise legend Mark Dickel — who was previously the youngest player to debut for the Nuggets — hit Timmins with a pass that night and he made the lay-up to score his first points in the National Basketball League (NBL).
Former Otago Daily Times basketball writer Jeff Cheshire described that play as a kind of "passing of the torch moment" after recently watching old game tape from 2013.
Timmins returned home to play for his beloved Nuggets in 2021 and last season played a starring role to help lead the franchise to its first NBL title proper.
The franchise will unveil the 2022 championship banner ahead of its opening game against the Manawatu Jets at the Edgar Centre tomorrow.
Excuse the large dollop of sentiment between two slices of nostalgia, but it will be a wonderful moment for Nuggets’ fans, who have endured some very lean years and two stints out of the league — one of those for five long seasons.
Timmins summed it up beautifully.
"It will be pretty surreal," he said.
"What is expected of you as a sportsman is to say, ‘right, on to the next one, new season, new expectations’.
"But that was a goal I had right up there with playing for the Tall Blacks, making the NBA or winning a championship with the Breakers.
"I feel like I’m in two minds as a professional athlete. There are the accomplishments that are intrinsically good, and then there are the ones that are just close to my heart.
"Putting a banner up in this gym for the Nuggets was right up there at the top of that list."
Timmins has come a long way from the shy and slightly awkward teenager who was interviewed the week leading into his debut for the franchise. He is a leader now, and prone to inspirational outbursts.
"Winning a championship at that stage seemed like a pretty far-fetched goal for the Nuggets.
"But it has been so cool. I can’t understate how awesome our group was last season."
So much effort was put in off the court to keep the Nuggets’ flame burning and "to even bring this team back into the league".
"It is cool to think about how many people were a part of making that happen and how many people were a part of my [basketball development] and getting me started in the sport."
Timmins has not re-signed with the Breakers for next season, and the next part of his basketball journey could take him anywhere.
But first there is another championship to win with his mates at the Nuggets.
"Being a professional athlete is a selfish pursuit, and you always have to think about what is best for you and how can you better your own game. What is going to be the thing that gets me to the next level.
"Once it becomes a job it is easy to fall into that trap and you are kind of forced to think that way because that is how you earn your living.
"But my nature is to want to be present and be part of the team environment — to look out for the people around me and enjoy playing the sport with great people around me, which is what I have in this team.
"The main thing the Nuggets give to me is grounding me back to why I fell in love with basketball in the first place."
Winning helps too. But there were not too many seasoned observers outside of Otago picking the Nuggets to go on the playoff run that they did.
It is the same again this year. They might be the defending champions, but they are still the underdogs.
The Nuggets have had some telling losses, to be fair.
American imports Keith Williams — who starred in the final with 34 points — and prolific scorer Tray Boyd III have not returned.
Guard Nikau McCullough has moved to Australia to chase a contract in the Australian National Basketball League.
They were instrumental in the Nuggets’ success.
Australian shooting guard Michael Harris and American point guard JaQuori McLaughlin will fill some of those spots, and defensive maestro Todd Withers has returned for a second season.
The local crew — Jack Andrew, Josh Aitcheson, Darcy Knox, Matthew Bardsley and Joseph Ahie — are back for another stint.
Andrew made big improvements last season and it will be interesting to see what impact he can have this year.
But Timmins is at the core of the Nuggets.
His trademark passing game, rebounding and ability to get inside and score in the paint was a key factor in the championship run.
"I can’t wait.
"There is a lot of talk around the league about some of those big teams and I don’t think we’ve really been a part of that conversation.
"In one way that is nice because we are the defending champions, but we’re the underdogs and no-one is counting on us to win. That is always a fun spot to play from."
- The Hawke’s Bay Hawks edged the Franklin Bulls 84-79 in the opening game of the season in Auckland on Thursday night.
National Basketball League
Edgar Centre, tomorrow, 4pm
Otago Nuggets (from): Sam Timmins, Todd Withers, Josh Aitcheson, Michael Harris, JaQuori McLaughlin, Jack Andrew, Darcy Knox, Matthew Bardsley, Joseph Ahie, Robert Coman, Caleb Smiler, Patrick Freeman, Maxwell Pearce, Mike Ruske.
Manawatu Jets (from): Simon Lafaele, Joshua Leger, Daniel Pippen II, Campbell Scott, Mustapha Heron, Liam Judd, Jackson Stent, Tukaha Cooper, Pafe Momoisea, Javion Blake, Isaac Faamausili, Klein Salmon, Lachlan Crate.
