New York-born guard Gary Ervin is preparing to apply for Australian citizenship to prolong his NBL career.
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The Wollongong Hawks playmaker has played four seasons in Australia in the past five years and believes he is not far off being eligible to play as an Aussie.
Ervin, who was Wollongong’s first NBL MVP in 30 years in 2011, turns 32 in August and is realistic enough to know his days as an import are numbered.
But Australian citizenship would open up doors at almost every club for Ervin.
‘‘I’m close enough to that goal. I’ve been here four years so why not just keep it going,’’ he said.
‘‘I’m pretty sure if I do come back next year that it’d be a full-blown guarantee that I can play as an Australian. Obviously that’d be big. It’d bring a lot of different things to the table, so we’ll see what happens there.
‘‘Maybe hopefully it could be back with the Hawks where it all started for me. I’d like to finish out that way, but who knows.’’
Ervin and his Hawks teammates took on the Crocodiles in Townsville on Friday night.
Last-placed Wollongong finish the 28-game regular season with Sunday’s home game against finals-bound Adelaide.
Ervin has been one of his team’s most productive players and believes he is nowhere near his use-by date.
‘‘I am who I am. My body is fine and I can play for another 10 years,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s just a different situation when you’re playing with three guards [with the Hawks]. That production of 20-plus points that everybody’s used to me scoring, that’s not going to happen playing with three guards. You have to share the time. You’re not playing 36 or 37 minutes no more where all the options come through you.
‘‘It’s one of those things where you have to do what’s best for the team. Playing with three guards, that’s the hand that’s dealt and you have to make the best out of that.’’
Wollongong have lost all three meetings with Adelaide.
Hawks forward Adam ‘Balls’ Ballinger is playing his last game before retiring and his teammates want to send him out on a high.
‘‘It’s the last weekend for us and it’s the last weekend ever for Balls, so it’s big,’’ Ervin said.
‘‘This game is the last time this group will be in place, so you want to go out on the right note. We have to do it for Balls.
‘‘We’ve been playing a great brand of basketball and all of the guys are confident. When we play the right way we’re as good as any team in the league.’’
Ervin played with the 36ers last year when they lost the championship series to Perth. He believes the Sixers will go all the way this season.
‘‘That’s my feel on it. I called it a while ago,’’ he said.
‘‘They’re stacked at every position. They have that versatility and it gives them so many different options, and they’re doing a great job on defence.
‘‘They’re getting out in transition, but right now they’re actually playing a style where they’re also executing their sets in the half-court. It’d be great to finish our season by beating that team.’’