Showing endless promise on the court, Tywain McKee could have been the Wollongong Hawks' next big thing.
But yesterday it was revealed the flashy United States import had been dumped from the basketball club following a series of driving-related offences, an official release from the club stating McKee's actions "do not fit in line with the core values of the organisation".
A talented player hailing from a tough neighbourhood in Philadelphia, McKee chased his dream of becoming an NBA star all the way to Australia, joining the Hawks to learn the ropes and gain valuable experience in the Australian NBL in the hope of some day picking up a contract back in the US.
The 22-year-old proved an impressive addition to the team, his speed and skill on the court and willingness to heed the advice of his team-mates among his more honourable traits.
He joined the Hawks at the team's rebirth following several dark months where the future looked bleak and the team was set to shut down.
But when it seemed certain McKee would be a driving force in steering the Hawks towards the semi-finals and beyond, the talented point guard sustained a devastating season-ending back injury, relegating him to the sidelines.
All that was left for McKee to do was recuperate.
But just weeks after suffering the injury and unbeknown to Hawks management, McKee was involved in the first of a series of serious driving-related incidents, the first occurring in early January with the second following soon after. The Mercury understands his first offence was for low-range drink-driving and the subsequent traffic incidents involved driving while suspended because of the initial offence.
The club was not informed of the player's brushes with the law.
While behind the wheel of a Hawks-owned vehicle in the early hours of March 23, McKee committed a third serious driving offence, details of which the club's management said they were not prepared to release.
Again McKee did not inform the club of his indiscretion.
Later that day, the same day he was due to fly out of the country to visit his homeland, a fan alerted Hawks management to the American's off-court antics.
Hawks CEO Wayne Morris would not elaborate on the nature of the driving offences, only that they were serious enough to be heard and dealt with in court.
Disappointed by the behaviour of such a promising young star, Morris said the events of the past month could have been prevented if McKee had simply come clean.
"We knew absolutely nothing about any of the incidents until the last day," he said.
"If we had heard about that first incident we could have maybe worked with Ty to ensure it didn't happen again and none of this would have happened."
Morris and head coach Gordie McLeod discussed McKee's future and their recommendation was submitted to the Hawks board for the final decision.
It was decided McKee would not return to the club for the 2010-11 NBL season.
While the punishment had been harsh, Morris said the image and reputation of the club had been key considerations in the decision-making process.
"Being a community-focused organisation, our players are really ambassadors for the whole Illawarra community - our young people, our children - our players are out there all the time getting involved and being part of the community. It's not just about basketball but also how to make good decisions throughout life," he said.
Thrilled with the import's performance on the court, Morris said in his opinion it was "extremely highly likely" McKee would have been signed for a second season.
He said he did not bear any ill will against the lanky American and wished him all the best in his future career in the sport.
"He'll still be working on his back to make sure he's fit and can get back on the court," he said.
"I'd like to see him get back into the game and have a successful basketball career."
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