Sydney Kings’ US import Greg Whittington put Mountains basketballers through their paces at an Aussie Hoops clinic in Katoomba last week.
The 23-year-old encouraged the 40 kids from the November 8 clinic to follow their dreams and work hard.
“Hard work beats talent any day of the week no matter who it is,” he said.
Having played basketball since the age of six, Whittington could have chosen a football career but eventually settled on basketball.
He signed with the top-of-the-table Sydney Kings, lured by Kings’ head coach Andrew Gaze.
“Gaze is a legend here, I can learn from him and go anywhere,” Whittington said.
Having played in the D League, the National Basketball Association’s minor league, before shifting to Sydney, when Whittington returns to the US next year he hopes to use Sydney and the NBL as his launching pad to the world’s best basketball competition, the NBA.
And he’s broadening his skills playing the more physical Australian basketball. “There’s more jostling on the court. It makes you more competitive and makes you go out and play harder,” the 203cm forward said.
He’s made his presence felt already, throwing down an impressive dunk against the Brisbane Bullets on November 10, finishing with 13 points and six rebounds.
