Nate Jawai will lead his Cairns squad on a poignant NBL pre-season trip to his Bamaga hometown for the first time in an exercise he hopes benefits the community and his team.
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The first Indigenous Australian to play in the NBA began his career in Cairns and has hoped to make the trip 1000km northwest of the city since returning to the Taipans in 2016.
The players will this week travel around the Northern Peninsula Area over three days, visiting Bamaga, Seisia and the North Cape for cultural education and a series of team-building activities.
Boomers star, close friend and fellow Torres Strait Islander Patty Mills took the Australian team to Uluru before the 2016 Olympics in a gesture he said paved the way for their eventual bronze medal in Tokyo this year.
Jawai hopes this trip can have a similar impact on a club still chasing its first NBL title and headed by new coach Adam Forde.
"I can't wait to show the boys where I came from and teach them about my culture," Jawai said.
"It's a big part of who I am, and they will really learn about the heritage of this country. I am so proud to be an Indigenous man and this experience will be incredibly special to me.
"I always reflect on where I came from, and this reminder will give me so much motivation before the season starts."
Assistant coach and former Taipans point guard Kerry Williams, himself a respected Indigenous role model in Cairns, described it as an "emotional expedition".
"We want to use this trip as something that we can refer to during the season - where we set our intentions and personal goals," he said.
"We want to use this time away to reflect on the training so far and what we can achieve as a team this year.
"I'm really happy we can do this for Nate ... it's been a long time coming.
"The Taipans are the reason why he's had the incredible career he's had, so this is going to be a pivotal and emotional expedition for him."
Australian Associated Press
