The Otago Nuggets forward was not nominated for the National Basketball League’s defensive player of the year award.
He felt he should have been — and he set out on a mission to show that.
"I had something to prove," Withers said after the Nuggets had beaten the Auckland Tuatara in the NBL final on Saturday.
"I wasn’t a nominee for defensive player of the year. I really took that to heart.
"I really love playing defence. I enjoy doing it and I feel like that’s something I’m really good at.
"I wanted to make a statement and show that I can really defend and I can do everything I possibly can to help my team."
It was a statement both coach Brent Matehaere and star centre Sam Timmins backed — both bringing it up unprompted.
Timmins referred to Withers as "a monster" on the defensive end and said he "did not know how he wasn’t defensive player of the year".
While the dynamic American did not always put up the eye-catching numbers of his team-mates, his influence came in what the numbers do not show.
The Nuggets were elite defensively right throughout the playoffs in Auckland, and Withers was the very best in that regard.
His presence on the interior was significant in protecting the rim, while his ability to read the defence and get tips was also significant, as was his ability to step out and guard on the perimeter.
At times he would make three or four defensive plays in one possession, any of which would be considered elite on their own.
Those plays were often stopping something before it happened, or creating a steal for someone else — although there were some savage blocks too.
Perhaps the biggest show of his influence was, despite scoring just three points in the quarterfinal win over the Hawke’s Bay Hawks, he was the dominant player in the game.
On Saturday night he came up with several big plays to help beat the Auckland Tuatara 81-73 in the final.
Withers said it had felt "amazing" to win, particularly after the team had been written off by many.
He is set to return to the United States to see his family, before progressing on to Lithuania, where he hopes to win another championship.
Fellow American Tray Boyd heads to France to play in the Pro B league.
He was similarly influential at the offensive end, creating shots for himself and, at times, carrying the scoring load for the Nuggets.
Boyd scored 10 straight points late in the second quarter in the final to pull the Nuggets back from a growing deficit to a 43-42 halftime lead.
It was effectively the turning point in the game.
"I’ve got a good supporting cast, so they made my job way easier than it should have been," he said.
"I’ve got to give kudos to them. They just helped me so much and encouraged me when I was down.
"They encourage me to keep shooting, so I keep shooting, keep facilitating, sticking to my role."
Boyd joined the team halfway through the season, replacing Tahjere McCall.
He said it did not take long to fit in with the squad.
"My first practice, I set the tone. I let them know I was all about winning.
"I feel like I earned their respect day one. It was a constant battle, because everyone loves basketball and passion gets involved.
"But we stuck to the game plan, we stuck to the situation and we came out victorious."
