He's spent the majority of this season on Illawarra's bench, but Emmett Naar is ready to make the most of his chance when he represents the Boomers this month.
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Naar was one of three Hawks, alongside Akoldah Gak and Alex Mudronja, last week selected to represent Australia in their three FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Japan later this month. The Boomers will play Chinese Taipei on February 25, before meeting Japan two days later, and then tackling Chinese Taipei again 24 hours later.
For Naar, this month's trip to Japan represents a chance to experience something different. The guard has been starved for opportunities with the Hawks in 2021/22, but he remains philosophical about the situation.
"It will be good to be on the court again. It's been a while since I've played, the last time I played some meaningful minutes was probably in the off-season for Ballarat, so I'm excited to hopefully hit the floor and have some important minutes. I just need to break some things up a bit," Naar told the Mercury.
"I've been a little frustrated, but at the same time, I understand where 'Goorj' (Brian Goorjian) is coming from. I don't think any player would enjoy not playing any minutes. Everyone's competitive, and that's why we are professional basketballers.
"But at the same time, I understand and I'm just going to do what I can to be the best teammate. I'm not going to sit and sulk on the sideline or at practise. It's still about trying to win a championship, so I've just got to be as positive as I can."
It is the second time that Naar has been called up to the national squad, and the 27-year-old says he can't wait for the opportunity.
"It's awesome, it means a lot to get picked. Any chance you get to play for Australia, you've really got to take it. I think it means something more when you step on court for Australia, you just have that little extra push, that little extra energy, so I'm pretty excited to get another chance at it," Naar said.
"To win all of the games would be nice, but it's not going to be easy, especially against Japan. But to come back 3-0 would be huge. We only have two days to practise when we get there and almost everyone has never played with each other before. That first game will be important, so we'll have to use it to grow as a team."
I'm excited to hopefully hit the floor and have some important minutes.
- - Emmett Naar
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Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
