Brad’s

By Paul Pickering
PAKENHAM-raised basketballer Brad Robbins was hailed as an inspiration to his team-mates after Perth’s NBL championship triumph over Wollongong on Friday night.
The 25-year-old will be remembered as the warrior hero of the grand finals series, having defied a battered body to take the court against the Hawks.
The Wildcats clinched the trophy with a 96-72 game-three victory in front of 5000 raucous fans at the Perth Entertainment Centre, leaving skipper Shawn Redhage to describe Robbins as the ‘heart and soul’ of the home side.
Robbins, in his fourth season with the Wildcats, tore a calf muscle during training in the lead-up to the decider and required regular pain-killing injections to get through the series.
He also played with torn cartilage in both hips and fractured ribs from an incident last month.
The 186cm back-up point guard, who was this week nominated for the NBL’s ‘best sixth man’ and ‘best defensive player’ awards, described the championship as the highlight of his basketball career.
“This is my sixth year in the NBL and as you grow and get a bit more mature it means a bit more to you,” he said from Perth on Monday.
“You understand how hard it is to get one (a championship) and it makes it much more special.”
Depth and defence were the hallmarks of the 2010 Wildcats, so it’s no surprise that Robbins should be lauded as a catalyst for the club’s fifth championship.
And Robbins says he will treasure his championship ring even more than his gold medal from the Under-20 World Championships in 2003.
“That was pretty special, but to win a national title as a senior player – it’s indescribable. I’m lost for words.”
Robbins is not one to dwell on individual accolades, saying it was more important to play his part in the grand final series.
“My assignment was to play 90 feet of defence for every second I was on the court and I was happy with my series,” he said.
“I missed the entire season last year with a knee injury, so I was pretty happy to bounce back the way I did.”
Robbins’ dogged defence has made him a favourite with Wildcats fans – widely hailed as the most loyal supporters in the league.
He made the move west with his girlfriend – now fiance – Kristi in 2006, having struggled to secure regular playing time in his NBL stints with the Victoria Giants and Cairns Taipans.
Brad and Kristi now have a young son, Charlie and are delighted to call Perth home.
Robbins is already contracted for the 2011 season and is confident that coach Rob Beveridge can keep the core of the group together for the title defence.
Off-season hip surgery awaits the ailing point guard, but he will extract the last energy out of his ailing body to strut his stuff in the player revue at the Wildcats’ sold-out MVP Ball this Saturday night.